Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Takes $1.79 Million Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 7,626 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,790,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth $25,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Coastline Trust Co bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $251.33 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $247.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $249.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a market cap of $56.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.35. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12-month low of $206.71 and a 12-month high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13.07 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 350 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 10,350 shares in the company, valued at $2,580,979.50. The trade was a 3.50 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $302.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $274.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.11.

Norfolk Southern Company 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.