Is Norfolk Southern Corporation Stock Underperforming the Dow?

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC), founded in 1980 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a major player in U.S. rail transportation. Operating over 19,500 route miles across 22 states and D.C., connecting 800 industrial sites, 175 warehouses, and 43 ports, Norfolk Southern hauls everything from soybeans and wheat to steel, chemicals, and finished automobiles. It also runs an extensive intermodal network, connecting ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. With a market cap of $50.1 billion, the company is a powerhouse in moving raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods across the country.

Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as "large-cap stocks," and Norfolk fits right into that category with its market cap exceeding this threshold, reflecting its substantial size, influence, and dominance in the rail transportation industry.