LPLA vs. NSC
LPLA (LPL Financial Holdings Inc.) and NSC (Norfolk Southern Corporation) are both stocks. LPLA operates in Capital Markets (Financial Services), while NSC operates in Railroads (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, LPLA returned 29.01%/yr vs 16.29%/yr for NSC. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
LPLA vs. NSC - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LPLA achieves a -20.40% return, which is significantly lower than NSC's 8.29% return. Over the past 10 years, LPLA has outperformed NSC with an annualized return of 29.01%, while NSC has yielded a comparatively lower 16.29% annualized return.
LPLA
- 1D
- -1.65%
- 1M
- -6.42%
- YTD
- -20.40%
- 6M
- -22.85%
- 1Y
- -26.79%
- 3Y*
- 12.01%
- 5Y*
- 15.99%
- 10Y*
- 29.01%
NSC
- 1D
- -1.12%
- 1M
- -0.67%
- YTD
- 8.29%
- 6M
- 6.71%
- 1Y
- 25.89%
- 3Y*
- 15.24%
- 5Y*
- 4.69%
- 10Y*
- 16.29%
LPLA vs. NSC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc. | -20.40% | 9.76% | 44.12% | 5.88% | 35.69% | 54.63% | 14.58% | 52.95% | 8.53% | 66.03% |
NSC Norfolk Southern Corporation | 8.29% | 25.65% | 1.55% | -1.63% | -15.59% | 27.26% | 24.76% | 32.39% | 5.22% | 36.85% |
Correlation
The correlation between LPLA and NSC is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 18, 2010 | 0.39 |
Over the past year, the correlation between LPLA and NSC has dropped to 0.14 - well below their long-term average of 0.39, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
LPLA:
$11.30
NSC:
$15.83
LPLA:
25.11
NSC:
19.57
LPLA:
1.06
NSC:
2.97
LPLA:
1.24
NSC:
4.29
LPLA:
$18.26B
NSC:
$12.19B
LPLA:
$7.58B
NSC:
$6.23B
LPLA:
$2.23B
NSC:
$5.20B
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Return for Risk
LPLA vs. NSC — Risk / Return Rank
LPLA
NSC
LPLA vs. NSC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| LPLA | NSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.06 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.88 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.89 | 1.26 | -0.37 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.81 | 2.08 | -2.90 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.70 | 6.27 | -7.97 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| LPLA | NSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.75 | 1.32 | -2.06 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.45 | 0.19 | +0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.76 | 0.59 | +0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.47 | 0.42 | +0.05 |
Drawdowns
LPLA vs. NSC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LPLA drawdown since its inception was -69.32%, roughly equal to the maximum NSC drawdown of -67.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LPLA and NSC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LPLA | NSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -69.32% | -67.74% | -1.58% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.12% | -12.47% | -20.65% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -33.18% | -25.11% | -8.07% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -33.18% | -35.64% | +2.46% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -60.34% | -44.42% | -15.92% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -28.63% | -4.84% | -23.79% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.91% | -15.14% | +1.23% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 15.84% | 4.14% | +11.70% |
Volatility
LPLA vs. NSC - Volatility Comparison
LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) has a higher volatility of 10.60% compared to Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) at 7.84%. This indicates that LPLA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NSC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LPLA | NSC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.60% | 7.84% | +2.76% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 27.76% | 16.01% | +11.75% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 36.06% | 19.77% | +16.29% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.03% | 25.06% | +10.97% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 38.12% | 27.54% | +10.58% |
Dividends
LPLA vs. NSC - Dividend Comparison
LPLA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.42%, less than NSC's 1.74% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc. | 0.42% | 0.34% | 0.37% | 0.53% | 0.46% | 0.62% | 0.96% | 1.08% | 1.64% | 1.75% | 2.84% | 2.34% |
NSC Norfolk Southern Corporation | 1.74% | 1.87% | 2.30% | 2.28% | 2.01% | 1.40% | 1.58% | 1.85% | 2.03% | 1.68% | 2.18% | 2.79% |
Financials
LPLA vs. NSC - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between LPL Financial Holdings Inc. and Norfolk Southern Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LPLA vs. NSC - Profitability Comparison
LPLA - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, LPL Financial Holdings Inc. reported a gross profit of 4.52B and revenue of 4.94B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 91.5%.
NSC - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Norfolk Southern Corporation reported a gross profit of 2.00B and revenue of 3.00B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 66.8%.
LPLA - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, LPL Financial Holdings Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 4.94B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.
NSC - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Norfolk Southern Corporation reported an operating income of 877.00M and revenue of 3.00B, resulting in an operating margin of 29.3%.
LPLA - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, LPL Financial Holdings Inc. reported a net income of 356.40M and revenue of 4.94B, resulting in a net margin of 7.2%.
NSC - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Norfolk Southern Corporation reported a net income of 547.00M and revenue of 3.00B, resulting in a net margin of 18.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions
LPLA and NSC have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LPLA has higher volatility (10.60%) compared to NSC (7.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LPLA dropped -69.32% vs NSC's -67.74%.
NSC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.32 vs -0.75), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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