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

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective raised by equities research analysts at Susquehanna from $288.00 to $304.00 in a report released on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Susquehanna’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 4.52% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on NSC. Morgan Stanley raised Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Norfolk Southern from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $314.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $347.00 to $333.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $303.52.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC traded up $4.48 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $290.85. 1,070,855 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 949,865. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $65.26 billion, a PE ratio of 22.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 1.33. Norfolk Southern has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $302.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $289.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $283.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 24.22% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.25 EPS. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In other news, Director William Jr. Clyburn acquired 204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $294.79 per share, for a total transaction of $60,137.16. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $119,389.95. The trade was a 101.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Richard H. Anderson bought 2,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $281.86 per share, for a total transaction of $732,836.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 7,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,973,020. This represents a 59.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased 4,454 shares of company stock worth $1,259,874 in the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. ORG Partners LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.