Susquehanna Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective raised by Susquehanna from $288.00 to $304.00 in a research report report published on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on NSC. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $314.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Morgan Stanley raised Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Benchmark reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $354.00 to $297.00 in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $235.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $303.52.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock traded up $4.48 on Monday, hitting $290.85. 1,070,855 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 949,865. Norfolk Southern has a 1 year low of $201.63 and a 1 year high of $302.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $289.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $283.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.26 billion, a PE ratio of 22.19, a PEG ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 1.33.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 7th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 41.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Richard H. Anderson bought 2,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $281.86 per share, with a total value of $732,836.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,973,020. This trade represents a 59.09% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director William Jr. Clyburn purchased 204 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $294.79 per share, with a total value of $60,137.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $119,389.95. The trade was a 101.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired 4,454 shares of company stock valued at $1,259,874 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 40.4% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,447 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,527,000 after purchasing an additional 1,855 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,491 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $638,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Financial Group purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth $202,000. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 117.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,793 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $971,000 after buying an additional 2,052 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

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.