Cerity Partners LLC Acquires 5,288 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 180,588 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 5,288 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC owned 0.08% of Norfolk Southern worth $52,139,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 84 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE NSC opened at $312.67 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $306.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $299.61. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $70.22 billion, a PE ratio of 26.34, a P/E/G ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1 year low of $247.85 and a 1 year high of $326.00.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is currently 45.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on NSC. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wolfe Research increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Argus upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, UBS Group set a $327.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $322.71.

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.