Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Rating) in a report published on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $236.00 to $232.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Norfolk Southern from $253.00 to $244.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $225.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Norfolk Southern from a hold rating to a buy rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $273.00 to $266.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, November 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $250.17.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC opened at $203.90 on Thursday. Norfolk Southern has a twelve month low of $202.40 and a twelve month high of $291.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.44 billion, a PE ratio of 14.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $235.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $236.24.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.41 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 24.98% and a net margin of 25.66%. The firm’s revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.12 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 13.66 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 3rd were paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.65%. This is an increase from Norfolk Southern’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 38.85%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Luken Investment Analytics LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Capital Directions Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.98% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

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Norfolk Southern Corp. is a transportation company, which engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods. The company also transports overseas freight through several Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. Its services include property leases and sales, wire line or pipeline and fiber optics projects, access property, managing private crossings, promoting businesses with signboards, and natural resource management.