Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $308.00 Price Target at Rothschild & Co Redburn

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target reduced by Rothschild & Co Redburn from $317.00 to $308.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

NSC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Susquehanna increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $304.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $361.00 to $368.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Argus raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, UBS Group cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $342.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, February 6th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $307.89.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $287.15 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $299.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $292.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $201.63 and a 52 week high of $319.94.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 23.59% and a return on equity of 18.78%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.04 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 42.35%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.