Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Stock Holdings Lessened by CHICAGO TRUST Co NA

CHICAGO TRUST Co NA decreased its position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,627 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 388 shares during the quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,086,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4,336.9% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,925 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,056,000 after acquiring an additional 4,814 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 89,300.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 894 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 893 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 17.9% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 244,274 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $52,443,000 after purchasing an additional 37,146 shares in the last quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 220.0% during the 2nd quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 5,322 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,142,000 after purchasing an additional 3,659 shares during the period. Finally, Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 34.7% in the second quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 5,423 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC traded up $2.04 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $235.98. The company had a trading volume of 287,503 shares, compared to its average volume of 865,486. The company’s 50-day moving average is $253.27 and its 200-day moving average is $245.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $53.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.34. Norfolk Southern Co. has a twelve month low of $206.71 and a twelve month high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.11 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 19.85% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.65 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.82 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, November 1st were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.29%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NSC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $283.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $253.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $274.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.68.

Insider Activity

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Sameh Fahmy acquired 350 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,580,979.50. This represents a 3.50 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.