Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Sells 2,548 Shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. reduced its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 32.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 5,233 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 2,548 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,228,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Atlantic Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NSC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $255.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Stephens raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $292.00 to $272.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.10.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere purchased 607 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $221.65 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.65 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12-month low of $201.63 and a 12-month high of $277.60. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $230.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $244.92.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.72 by ($0.03). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. The business had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.01 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 2nd. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.44%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 36.89%.

Norfolk Southern 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.