Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Shares Acquired by Primecap Management Co. CA

Primecap Management Co. CA increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 46.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 673,200 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 214,700 shares during the period. Primecap Management Co. CA owned 0.30% of Norfolk Southern worth $158,000,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere bought 607 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NSC opened at $234.37 on Wednesday. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12 month low of $206.71 and a 12 month high of $277.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $246.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market cap of $53.07 billion, a PE ratio of 20.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 21.63%. Equities analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on NSC. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $285.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Loop Capital lowered Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $289.00 to $256.00 in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.95.

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.