Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Has $37.73 Million Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 128.1% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 131,455 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 73,835 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $37,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Bayban bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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 Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:NSC opened at $351.69 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12 month low of $268.23 and a 12 month high of $358.60. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $317.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $306.29.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NSC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Benchmark restated a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

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.