Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target lifted by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $316.00 to $338.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target indicates a potential downside of 3.89% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $363.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $335.00 to $351.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.9%

NYSE:NSC opened at $351.69 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a fifty-two week low of $268.23 and a fifty-two week 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 capitalization of $78.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.27. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $317.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $306.16.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its 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 business had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% during the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Bayban acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

More Norfolk Southern News

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

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.