Capula Management Ltd Has $41.54 Million Stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Capula Management Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 189.5% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 144,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 94,749 shares during the quarter. Norfolk Southern accounts for approximately 0.3% of Capula Management Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Capula Management Ltd’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $41,543,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 73.3% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 588,472 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $168,891,000 after buying an additional 248,965 shares during the last quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the first quarter valued at about $530,000. Lido Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 6.0% during the first quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 8,735 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,508,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 1.6% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 80,483 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $23,099,000 after acquiring an additional 1,254 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the first quarter worth about $41,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE NSC opened at $347.70 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $316.67 and its 200-day moving average is $305.84. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12-month low of $268.23 and a 12-month high of $358.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $78.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.05 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.29 EPS. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NSC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $331.29.

Key Stories Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.52 per share, topping estimates, while revenue rose to a record roughly $3.5 billion and increased 12.5% year over year. Article: Norfolk Southern (NSC) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to stronger freight demand, higher fuel surcharges, volume growth, and intermodal gains as key drivers of the quarter, which helped boost investor confidence in operating momentum. Article: Norfolk Southern rides freight demand, fuel surcharges to quarterly profit beat
• Positive Sentiment: The company said it achieved record quarterly revenue, and several outlets noted the stock rose as the revenue surge and earnings beat outweighed margin compression. Article: Norfolk Southern Stock Rises as Revenue Surge Offsets Margin Compression
• Neutral Sentiment: Norfolk Southern also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, reinforcing shareholder returns but not changing the main earnings-driven stock move. Article: Norfolk Southern earnings report and conference call

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.