Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Upgraded by Stephens to “Hold” Rating

Stephens upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) to a hold rating in a research report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on NSC. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $296.00 to $292.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. UBS Group set a $327.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $322.83.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $319.66 on Wednesday. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $257.49 and a 1-year high of $326.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $312.59 and a 200-day moving average of $302.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market capitalization of $71.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.93, a PEG ratio of 5.96 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.The company’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.69 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 12.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given 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 dividend yield of 1.7%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.49%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

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.