First Trust Advisors LP Reduces Stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

First Trust Advisors LP lessened its holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 7.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 147,096 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 11,119 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.07% of Norfolk Southern worth $42,217,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted 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 worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Bayban acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on NSC shares. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Benchmark reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Stephens raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut 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. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $348.00.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $343.05 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $317.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $306.66. The company has a market cap of $77.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.27, a PEG ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a one year low of $268.23 and a one year 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 the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.29 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 46.08%.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific submitted supplemental information to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), including expanded gateway-pricing commitments and customer protections. The companies said the measures are designed to support faster, more reliable service and address concerns about the proposed merger. The filing may improve the merger’s regulatory prospects, although STB approval remains outstanding. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger customer assurances
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its Norfolk Southern price target to $355 from $310, while Robert W. Baird increased its target to $377 from $360. The higher targets suggest analysts see additional potential value, despite BMO retaining a “market perform” rating and Baird maintaining a “neutral” rating. Benzinga analyst price targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports citing JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroup analysts indicated expectations for Norfolk Southern shares to appreciate, while Barclays continued to rate the stock “buy.” These calls reinforce a generally constructive outlook but provide less immediate impact than a change in earnings or company guidance. JPMorgan analyst outlook Wells Fargo analyst outlook Citigroup analyst outlook Barclays rating
• Negative Sentiment: No new material negative operating or earnings update was reported. However, merger-related regulatory uncertainty remains a risk, and the stock’s elevated valuation means investors may require continued execution and progress toward approval to justify further gains.

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.