Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Raised to $338.00

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $316.00 to $338.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

NSC has been the subject of several other reports. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $351.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $317.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $306.29. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $268.23 and a 52 week high of $358.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The business’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NSC. Tema ETFs LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 8.6% during the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 3,662 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,152,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 6.4% during the second quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd now owns 28,026 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $8,940,000 after purchasing an additional 1,697 shares during the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 0.9% during the second quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 7,707 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,425,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.7% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 123,304 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $38,790,000 after purchasing an additional 2,023 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tenzing Financial LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at approximately $572,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

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.