Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twenty-three ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fifteen have assigned a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $304.4737.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $317.00 to $300.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays reduced their target price on Norfolk Southern from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, UBS Group cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $342.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Friday, February 6th.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $314.56 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a 1 year low of $201.63 and a 1 year high of $319.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $293.35 and its 200 day moving average is $287.74. The stock has a market cap of $70.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.67, a PEG ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 23.59% and a return on equity of 18.78%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.04 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William Jr. Clyburn acquired 204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $294.79 per share, with a total value of $60,137.16. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $119,389.95. This trade represents a 101.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Anil Bhatt sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.60, for a total transaction of $253,440.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $397,900.80. This trade represents a 38.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $1,084,701,000. Pentwater Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth about $826,128,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 545.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,306,203 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $392,396,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103,748 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at $329,629,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 550.6% during the 2nd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 983,366 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $251,712,000 after purchasing an additional 832,210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

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.