Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price hoisted by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $365.00 to $385.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 9.47% from the stock’s current price.

NSC has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $335.00 to $351.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.9%

NYSE NSC opened at $351.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern has a one year low of $268.23 and a one year high of $358.60. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $317.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.29 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NSC. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $892,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $929,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 0.6% in the first quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 6,290 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,805,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern News Summary

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.