Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Acquires 46,127 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 2.1% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,259,558 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 46,127 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $648,429,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $892,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $929,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.6% in the first quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 6,290 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,805,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.0%

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $340.24 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $314.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $304.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1-year low of $268.23 and a 1-year high of $342.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.66, a P/E/G ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 45.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on NSC. Weiss Ratings lowered Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $331.00 to $316.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $329.35.

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.