Susquehanna Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective increased by equities research analysts at Susquehanna from $337.00 to $360.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Susquehanna’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 9.81% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on NSC. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $331.00 to $316.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Evercore set a $325.00 target price on Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $328.00.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC opened at $327.85 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $313.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $303.34. Norfolk Southern has a fifty-two week low of $257.49 and a fifty-two week high of $329.05. The stock has a market cap of $73.63 billion, a PE ratio of 27.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.69 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 12.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 239.3% in the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% in the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

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.