Markel Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Markel Group Inc. increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 3.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 282,500 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,000 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $81,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during 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 period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% during the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% in the 3rd 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

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 Trading Up 1.2%

NSC stock traded up $3.83 on Friday, reaching $327.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 636,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 981,612. The firm has a market cap of $73.58 billion, a PE ratio of 27.60, a PEG ratio of 6.03 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $303.01. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12-month low of $257.49 and a 12-month high of $328.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.17 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on NSC shares. Citigroup increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $335.00 to $351.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Stephens upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $326.72.

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.