Aventail Capital Group LP Has $4.11 Million Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Aventail Capital Group LP reduced its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 53.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 14,242 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 16,107 shares during the period. Aventail Capital Group LP’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $4,112,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% during the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $300.38 on Thursday. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12-month low of $250.65 and a 12-month high of $326.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.46 billion, a PE ratio of 25.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $309.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $300.56.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 45.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Argus raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $322.71.

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.