Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target upped by research analysts at Citigroup from $351.00 to $376.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 6.91% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.9%

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $351.69 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $268.23 and a 1-year high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.27. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $317.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $306.16.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NSC. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. BNP Paribas acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Bayban acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern beat Q2 expectations, posting $3.52 in EPS and revenue above estimates, with revenue up 12.5% year over year and record quarterly sales. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $385 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target to $376, reflecting a more constructive view after the earnings release, even though it kept a neutral rating. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its target to $338 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting valuation looks less compelling after the recent move higher. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted lower profitability and margin pressure despite the revenue beat, which may temper enthusiasm if cost pressures persist. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability was held back by higher fuel costs and lower efficiency, showing that cost inflation remains a headwind even as demand improves. TipRanks article

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.