New York State Common Retirement Fund Trims Stock Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

New York State Common Retirement Fund lowered its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 6.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 245,020 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 15,800 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.11% of Norfolk Southern worth $73,606,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.2% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,561,273 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,263,069,000 after purchasing an additional 239,914 shares during the period. Dodge & Cox grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 10,859,121 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,779,609,000 after buying an additional 192,567 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,822,075 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,228,064,000 after buying an additional 36,362 shares during the last quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 4,182,921 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,070,702,000 after buying an additional 184,586 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,289,431 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $841,994,000 after buying an additional 201,861 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NSC opened at $290.43 on Friday. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a twelve month low of $201.63 and a twelve month high of $302.24. The firm has a market cap of $65.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a PEG ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $290.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $285.47.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.78 by $0.44. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 24.22% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Equities research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is currently 41.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Norfolk Southern news, EVP Anil Bhatt sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.60, for a total value of $253,440.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $397,900.80. This represents a 38.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William Jr. Clyburn purchased 204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $294.79 per share, with a total value of $60,137.16. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $119,389.95. This represents a 101.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Norfolk Southern News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat and margin strength — NSC reported Q4 EPS of $3.22 vs. consensus $2.78, up vs. a year ago; the company showed strong margins and ROE that helped earnings exceed estimates. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Productivity savings and operating performance — Norfolk Southern said it exceeded full‑year productivity targets, citing over $215M in annual savings; operating ratio was 68.5% and income from railway operations was $937M, which supports near‑term profitability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share (ex‑dividend Feb 6, payable Feb 20), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow (yield ~1.9%).
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials and call — Management provided slides and the full earnings-call transcript; investors should review the presentation and Q&A for commentary on volumes, pricing cadence and 2026 outlook. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation commentary — Some analysts/narratives note momentum has cooled after earlier gains; keep an eye on multiple expansion/contraction relative to peers given the mixed top‑line data. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and volume pressure — Revenue missed expectations ($3.0B vs. ~$3.03B estimate) and management flagged a volatile macro environment and softer volumes, which could limit upside unless pricing or volume trends improve. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $347.00 to $333.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $314.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $293.00 price objective on Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $306.00.

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.