Susquehanna Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price upped by Susquehanna from $337.00 to $360.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. Susquehanna currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on NSC. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Stephens upgraded Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $331.00 to $316.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.00.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.3%

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $326.75 on Tuesday. Norfolk Southern has a one year low of $257.49 and a one year high of $329.38. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $313.54 and a 200 day moving average of $303.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $73.38 billion, a PE ratio of 27.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.99 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 12.24 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 669.2% in the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.