Sculptor Capital LP Makes New $115.27 Million Investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Sculptor Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 366,413 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $115,270,000. Norfolk Southern comprises about 0.9% of Sculptor Capital LP’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter valued at $3,272,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 43,408 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $12,533,000 after buying an additional 3,887 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,669,000. SCS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at about $13,837,000. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $1,376,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.4%

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $351.73 on Wednesday. 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 business’s 50-day simple moving average is $329.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $314.17. The company has a market cap of $79.00 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a PEG ratio of 6.25 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $268.23 and a fifty-two week high of $358.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.66 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 46.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on NSC shares. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Stephens raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $348.00.

About Norfolk Southern

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.