Analysts Set Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) PT at $301.10

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-three ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $301.10.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on NSC shares. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $314.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $321.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.6%

NSC opened at $291.67 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $65.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.32. Norfolk Southern has a 12 month low of $201.63 and a 12 month high of $302.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $288.56 and a 200 day moving average of $274.55.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 24.22% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.25 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.19%.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Richard H. Anderson bought 2,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $281.86 per share, with a total value of $732,836.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 7,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,973,020. This trade represents a 59.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Anil Bhatt sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.60, for a total transaction of $253,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,413 shares in the company, valued at $397,900.80. This represents a 38.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter valued at $27,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Company 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.