17,634 Shares in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Purchased by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 17,634 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $4,139,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in NSC. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $435,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Albert D Mason Inc. raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Albert D Mason Inc. now owns 6,881 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,615,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 960 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $225,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,507 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $588,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CKW Financial Group grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 700 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $174,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.7 %

NSC stock traded down $1.70 during trading on Friday, reaching $231.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,248,284 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,161,604. 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 has a market capitalization of $52.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. Norfolk Southern Co. has a one year low of $206.71 and a one year high of $277.60. The company's 50 day moving average is $246.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.82.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 forecast 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 was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is 46.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 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 transaction, the director now owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on NSC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They set a "buy" rating and a $293.00 target price on the stock. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $289.00 to $256.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $276.63.

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.