Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Raised to $376.00

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target hoisted by Citigroup from $351.00 to $376.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on NSC. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target 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. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Evercore set a $358.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped 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. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $351.69 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $268.23 and a 52 week high of $358.60. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $317.37 and its 200 day moving average is $306.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a PEG ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.08%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 40.4% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,447 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,527,000 after purchasing an additional 1,855 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth approximately $327,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 64.1% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 4,275 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 1,670 shares during the period. Finally, Jump Financial LLC grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 185.1% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 4,588 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 2,979 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories 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.