Jefferies Financial Group Cuts Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target to $310.00

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price lowered by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $350.00 to $310.00 in a research report issued on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 8.05% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $354.00 to $297.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $305.53.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NSC opened at $286.90 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $70.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.64, a PEG ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.31. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $299.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $293.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Norfolk Southern has a 12 month low of $201.63 and a 12 month high of $319.94.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 23.59%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.04 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 3.5% during the third quarter. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Massachusetts Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Wealth Management now owns 5,986 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,798,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 2,515 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $726,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Confluence Wealth Services Inc. raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $892,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

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.