Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. Acquires 40,000 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 88.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 85,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 40,000 shares during the quarter. Norfolk Southern comprises approximately 0.5% of Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $24,395,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter valued at about $3,272,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 43,408 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $12,533,000 after buying an additional 3,887 shares in the last quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. now owns 50,620 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $14,615,000 after buying an additional 16,720 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 138,194 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $39,899,000 after buying an additional 10,910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 54.4% during the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 51,112 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $14,757,000 after buying an additional 18,012 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $351.69 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a PEG ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $317.37 and its 200 day moving average is $306.29. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $268.23 and a fifty-two week high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is currently 46.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on NSC shares. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Stephens raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Benchmark restated a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $344.35.

Key Norfolk Southern News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern beat Q2 expectations, posting $3.52 in EPS and revenue above estimates, with revenue up 12.5% year over year and record quarterly sales. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $385 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target to $376, reflecting a more constructive view after the earnings release, even though it kept a neutral rating. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its target to $338 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting valuation looks less compelling after the recent move higher. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted lower profitability and margin pressure despite the revenue beat, which may temper enthusiasm if cost pressures persist. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability was held back by higher fuel costs and lower efficiency, showing that cost inflation remains a headwind even as demand improves. TipRanks article

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.