Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Cut to $316.00 by Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $331.00 to $316.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on NSC. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $313.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $335.00 to $351.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $326.72.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC traded up $3.83 during trading on Friday, hitting $327.60. 636,072 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 981,612. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Norfolk Southern has a 12-month low of $257.49 and a 12-month high of $328.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $313.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $303.01. The company has a market capitalization of $73.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.96 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 12.16 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% in the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Norfolk Southern from $330 to $360, signaling more upside potential even though the firm kept a neutral rating. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded Norfolk Southern to hold, a modestly more favorable stance that can support sentiment around the stock. Tickerreport.com article
• Neutral Sentiment: A Globe and Mail roundup noted that analyst views on Norfolk Southern are mixed, reinforcing that investors are balancing optimism on valuation with caution on near-term fundamentals. The Globe and Mail article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target from $331 to $316 and kept a neutral rating, suggesting limited upside from current levels and some pressure on sentiment. Benzinga report
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed a surge in put buying, which can indicate that some traders are positioning for downside or hedging against short-term weakness. Options trading report

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.