Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective boosted by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from $288.00 to $315.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 3.95% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $301.00 to $296.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $317.00 to $300.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $298.00 to $299.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Argus raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eighteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $308.95.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 2.5%

NYSE NSC opened at $303.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $68.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.61 and a beta of 1.31. Norfolk Southern has a one year low of $201.63 and a one year high of $319.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $300.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $291.55.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 23.59% and a return on equity of 18.78%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.04 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. ORG Partners LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $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 acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Norfolk Southern

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.