Analysts Set Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) Price Target at $303.52

Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-four research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fifteen have assigned a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $303.5238.

NSC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $298.00 to $299.00 in a report on Thursday, December 18th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Norfolk Southern from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Thursday, December 18th.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $287.31 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.47 billion, a PE ratio of 21.92, a P/E/G ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 1.33. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $201.63 and a 1-year high of $302.24. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $289.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $285.10.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.93% and a net margin of 24.22%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.11 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Sameh Fahmy bought 1,650 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $282.97 per share, with a total value of $466,900.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 12,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,395,640. This trade represents a 15.94% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Anil Bhatt sold 900 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.60, for a total value of $253,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,413 shares in the company, valued at $397,900.80. This represents a 38.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. ORG Partners LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in 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 buying an additional 58 shares during the period. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. 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.