Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $323.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $318.00 to $323.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 2.64% from the stock’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Benchmark reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Stephens raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen 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 target price of $348.69.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NSC stock traded down $6.47 on Friday, hitting $331.76. The stock had a trading volume of 313,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,175,542. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $326.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $320.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market cap of $74.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.29, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 1.29. Norfolk Southern has a twelve month low of $277.80 and a twelve month high of $358.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.46 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%. The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.48 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 12.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,272,000. SCS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at about $13,837,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth approximately $3,669,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,376,000. Finally, PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 29.2% in the 2nd quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab now owns 54,620 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $17,183,000 after acquiring an additional 12,350 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern reported record third-quarter revenue of approximately $3.53 billion, up 13.6% year over year. Adjusted EPS of $3.62 exceeded the $3.46 consensus estimate, while freight-volume growth, higher fuel surcharges and stronger intermodal demand supported results. Norfolk Southern tops profit estimates as freight demand stays strong
• Positive Sentiment: Industry conditions appear favorable for railroads as elevated trucking fuel costs and tighter trucking capacity encourage customers to shift freight toward rail, potentially benefiting Norfolk Southern’s intermodal business. US railroads pull ahead as high fuel costs hit truckers harder
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target for NSC to $379 from $376 and reiterated a Buy rating, indicating continued confidence in the company’s outlook. TD Cowen stock recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, payable November 20 to shareholders of record November 6, maintaining a regular source of shareholder returns. Norfolk Southern declares quarterly dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Norfolk Southern expects 2026 capital expenditures of roughly $2.1 billion, while its operating-expense outlook moved to slightly above $9 billion. The spending should support the network but may limit near-term free-cash-flow growth. Norfolk Southern 2026 capital expenditure and operating expense outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Rising labor, fuel and other operating expenses pressured margins despite the revenue and earnings beat, tempering the impact of the strong quarterly headline results.
• Negative Sentiment: Stephens reduced its price target to $354 from $377, signaling more cautious expectations and likely contributing to the pressure on NSC shares. Stephens adjusts price target on Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) is a transportation company that operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in the eastern United States. Through its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary, the company provides rail transportation and related services across a broad territory spanning portions of the Midwest, South and East Coast, including access to major industrial centers, ports and distribution markets.

Norfolk Southern transports a diverse range of commodities, including intermodal freight, merchandise, automotive products, coal and other energy-related materials.