Heritage Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,792 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $1,125,000.
Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Atlantic Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
NSC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $268.79.
Read Our Latest Report on Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Trading Down 1.6 %
NSC stock traded down $3.64 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $217.76. 831,978 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,247,641. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $277.60. The stock's fifty day moving average is $236.57 and its 200-day moving average is $246.56. The company has a market cap of $53.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.
Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.
Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.71%.
Insider Activity
In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,487 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Norfolk Southern Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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