Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $275.00 Price Target at Stephens

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective raised by Stephens from $260.00 to $275.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $274.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Citigroup increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $302.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.74.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $257.50 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $249.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.69. Norfolk Southern has a twelve month low of $206.71 and a twelve month high of $277.60. The company has a market cap of $58.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.34.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.50% and a net margin of 21.63%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 13.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.10%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.71%.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In other news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 350 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $249.37 per share, with a total value of $87,279.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,580,979.50. This represents a 3.50 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,265 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $563,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $435,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,043 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $256,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC now owns 1,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $287,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Archer Investment Corp raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,934 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $481,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.