Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC Acquires 9,109 Shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 323.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,921 shares of the railroad operator's stock after purchasing an additional 9,109 shares during the quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC's holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $2,798,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Atlantic Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere bought 607 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was bought 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 owns 2,487 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC traded up $2.48 on Friday, hitting $217.94. The stock had a trading volume of 1,401,075 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,248,782. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $237.20 and a 200-day moving average of $246.74. The company has a market capitalization of $53.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.90. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NSC has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stephens raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $284.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Loop Capital lowered Norfolk Southern from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $289.00 to $256.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $285.00 target price 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 issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $268.68.

Norfolk Southern 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.