First Trust Advisors LP Lowers Stock Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

First Trust Advisors LP cut its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 7.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 147,096 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 11,119 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $42,217,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Bayban acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on NSC shares. Barclays raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday. Evercore set a $358.00 target price on Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $363.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $348.00.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $343.05 on Tuesday. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 52 week low of $268.23 and a 52 week high of $358.60. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $317.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $306.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The company has a market cap of $77.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.08%.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific submitted supplemental information to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), including expanded gateway-pricing commitments and customer protections. The companies said the measures are designed to support faster, more reliable service and address concerns about the proposed merger. The filing may improve the merger’s regulatory prospects, although STB approval remains outstanding. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger customer assurances
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its Norfolk Southern price target to $355 from $310, while Robert W. Baird increased its target to $377 from $360. The higher targets suggest analysts see additional potential value, despite BMO retaining a “market perform” rating and Baird maintaining a “neutral” rating. Benzinga analyst price targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports citing JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroup analysts indicated expectations for Norfolk Southern shares to appreciate, while Barclays continued to rate the stock “buy.” These calls reinforce a generally constructive outlook but provide less immediate impact than a change in earnings or company guidance. JPMorgan analyst outlook Wells Fargo analyst outlook Citigroup analyst outlook Barclays rating
• Negative Sentiment: No new material negative operating or earnings update was reported. However, merger-related regulatory uncertainty remains a risk, and the stock’s elevated valuation means investors may require continued execution and progress toward approval to justify further gains.

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation is a major U.S. freight railroad company that provides rail transportation and related logistics services. As a Class I carrier, the company operates an extensive network across the eastern United States and offers scheduled freight service for a broad range of industries. Its core operations include long-haul and regional rail freight transportation, intermodal services that move containers and trailers between rail and other modes, and terminal and switching services that support efficient rail shipments for industrial and port customers.

The company transports a variety of commodities, serving sectors such as coal and energy, automotive and automotive parts, chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction materials, and consumer goods.