AlphaQuest LLC Makes New Investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 7,206 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $2,165,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NSC. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 423.8% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 110 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 68.9% during the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 103 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 58.5% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 130 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NSC reported quarterly EPS that beat consensus (reported $3.22 vs. ~ $2.76 expected), driven by pricing and cost control that lifted margins and helped results despite softer volumes. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company highlighted sustained productivity improvements and over $215 million in annual savings for the full year, which supports cashflow and profitability going forward. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operating-performance metrics beat some expectations (operating ratio ~68.5%), and management emphasized cost discipline as a buffer against a challenging macro backdrop. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript, slide deck and detailed presentation are available for investors who want forward guidance and segment-level color. These materials are useful for assessing whether productivity gains and pricing can continue. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga ran an “Expert Outlook” summarizing the views of eight analysts — useful for gauging consensus and differing assumptions on volumes, pricing and margin recovery. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed expectations (reported ~$3.0B vs. ~$3.03B consensus), reflecting weaker volumes — a reminder that top-line risk remains if demand softens. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Two large firms trimmed price targets (JPMorgan: $301 → $296; Citigroup: $317 → $300) and keep neutral ratings, which caps near-term analyst-driven upside despite the beat. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $301.00 to $296.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $347.00 to $333.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $361.00 to $368.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $303.53.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In other news, EVP Anil Bhatt sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.60, for a total value of $253,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $397,900.80. This represents a 38.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William Jr. Clyburn bought 204 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $294.79 per share, for a total transaction of $60,137.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 405 shares in the company, valued at approximately $119,389.95. The trade was a 101.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $291.40 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $65.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $290.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $285.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12 month low of $201.63 and a 12 month high of $302.24.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 23.59%.Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.04 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 41.19%.

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation is a major U.S. freight railroad company that provides rail transportation and related logistics services. As a Class I carrier, the company operates an extensive network across the eastern United States and offers scheduled freight service for a broad range of industries. Its core operations include long-haul and regional rail freight transportation, intermodal services that move containers and trailers between rail and other modes, and terminal and switching services that support efficient rail shipments for industrial and port customers.

The company transports a variety of commodities, serving sectors such as coal and energy, automotive and automotive parts, chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction materials, and consumer goods.