Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $323.38 and last traded at $322.7420, with a volume of 68458 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $320.22.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $319.83.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 1.1%

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $301.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $297.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.Norfolk Southern’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.69 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.49%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.