Brasada Capital Management LP Takes $1.73 Million Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Brasada Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 7,332 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $1,728,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of NSC. MGO One Seven LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 45.8% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 3,924 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $921,000 after buying an additional 1,232 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,608,080 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,020,318,000 after acquiring an additional 918,559 shares in the last quarter. Yaupon Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Yaupon Capital Management LP now owns 118,902 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $27,906,000 after purchasing an additional 2,997 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 1,162,985 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $272,956,000 after acquiring an additional 24,132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 14,007 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $3,290,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on NSC shares. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $293.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $285.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $268.79.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NSC stock opened at $220.15 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12-month low of $201.63 and a 12-month high of $277.60. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $232.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $245.36.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 21.63%. Equities research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.45%. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio is 46.71%.

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.

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