CreativeOne Wealth LLC Purchases Shares of 1,523 Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

CreativeOne Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 1,523 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $357,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NSC traded down $3.36 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $223.32. 354,889 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,254,254. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company's 50-day moving average is $231.08 and its 200 day moving average is $245.08. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $201.63 and a 52 week high of $277.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.06 billion, a PE ratio of 19.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.72 by ($0.03). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 2nd. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.71%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere purchased 607 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $259.86 per share, with a total value of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares of the company's stock, valued at $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on NSC. Bank of America lowered their price target on Norfolk Southern from $292.00 to $272.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $275.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $265.00 to $247.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $266.10.

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.