Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Upgraded by Argus to “Hold” Rating

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) was upgraded by Argus to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on NSC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $301.00 to $296.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $317.00 to $300.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $304.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $354.00 to $297.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $304.47.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NSC opened at $313.10 on Wednesday. Norfolk Southern has a fifty-two week low of $201.63 and a fifty-two week high of $319.94. The company’s fifty day moving average is $297.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $290.17. The firm has a market cap of $70.31 billion, a PE ratio of 24.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.62 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 23.59%.The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.04 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In other news, Director William Jr. Clyburn bought 204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $294.79 per share, for a total transaction of $60,137.16. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $119,389.95. This trade represents a 101.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in 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.