Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-four analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $326.7222.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on NSC shares. Weiss Ratings cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 40.4% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,447 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,527,000 after purchasing an additional 1,855 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $327,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 64.1% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 4,275 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 1,670 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 185.1% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 4,588 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 2,979 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $327.60 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $313.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $303.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91. Norfolk Southern has a fifty-two week low of $257.49 and a fifty-two week high of $328.58. The company has a market capitalization of $73.58 billion, a PE ratio of 27.60, a P/E/G ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.13 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.Norfolk Southern’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 12.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.49%.

Key Headlines Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Norfolk Southern from $330 to $360, signaling more upside potential even though the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Norfolk Southern to hold, a modestly more favorable stance that can support sentiment around the stock. Tickerreport.com article
• Neutral Sentiment: A Globe and Mail roundup noted that analyst views on Norfolk Southern are mixed, reinforcing that investors are balancing optimism on valuation with caution on near-term fundamentals. The Globe and Mail article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target from $331 to $316 and kept a neutral rating, suggesting limited upside from current levels and some pressure on sentiment. Benzinga report
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed a surge in put buying, which can indicate that some traders are positioning for downside or hedging against short-term weakness. Options trading report

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.