Boston Partners Boosts Holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Boston Partners raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 16.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,020,392 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 580,293 shares during the quarter. Norfolk Southern makes up 1.2% of Boston Partners’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Boston Partners’ holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $945,385,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,139,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 21.0% during the fourth quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 24,348 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,714,000 after buying an additional 4,224 shares in the last quarter. Haven Capital Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $253,000. Primecap Management Co. CA grew its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 46.8% during the fourth quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 673,200 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $158,000,000 after buying an additional 214,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $352,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were purchased 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 owns 2,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. This represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NSC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $293.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $276.95.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC opened at $234.42 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $246.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $250.40. 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 $53.08 billion, a PE ratio of 20.28, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1 year low of $206.71 and a 1 year high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 21.63%. On average, analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 46.71%.

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.