Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Shares Bought by Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 72.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 767 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Provence Wealth Management Group acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 662.5% during the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 122 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $240.12 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $59.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.30. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1-year low of $183.09 and a 1-year high of $263.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $253.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $230.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 26th. The railroad operator reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by ($0.04). Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 21.06% and a net margin of 15.03%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.42 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 2nd were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 1st. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. TheStreet raised Norfolk Southern from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Loop Capital upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $261.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $253.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $185.00 to $175.00 in a report on Monday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.74.

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.