Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $288.00 to $315.00 in a report published on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $304.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Argus raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $298.00 to $299.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eighteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $308.95.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of NSC stock traded down $7.90 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $303.02. The stock had a trading volume of 1,832,657 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,308,610. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.05 billion, a PE ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.61 and a beta of 1.31. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $300.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $291.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Norfolk Southern has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $319.94.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 23.59% and a return on equity of 18.78%. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.04 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.35%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NSC. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

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.