Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price lifted by Robert W. Baird from $330.00 to $360.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group set a $327.00 price objective on Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $313.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $296.00 to $292.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $326.72.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NSC traded up $3.83 during trading on Friday, reaching $327.60. The stock had a trading volume of 636,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 981,612. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $303.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $257.49 and a 52 week high of $328.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.60, a P/E/G ratio of 5.96 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 12.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.49%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Gilbert & Cook Inc. increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 2,515 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $726,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $892,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $929,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sovereign Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 3.3% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $318,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Norfolk Southern News

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Norfolk Southern from $330 to $360, signaling more upside potential even though the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Norfolk Southern to hold, a modestly more favorable stance that can support sentiment around the stock. Tickerreport.com article
• Neutral Sentiment: A Globe and Mail roundup noted that analyst views on Norfolk Southern are mixed, reinforcing that investors are balancing optimism on valuation with caution on near-term fundamentals. The Globe and Mail article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target from $331 to $316 and kept a neutral rating, suggesting limited upside from current levels and some pressure on sentiment. Benzinga report
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed a surge in put buying, which can indicate that some traders are positioning for downside or hedging against short-term weakness. Options trading report

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.