Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Shares Bought by Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas raised its position in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 46.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 95,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,000 shares during the quarter. Norfolk Southern accounts for approximately 1.1% of Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas’ portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas’ holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $27,265,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Strategic Investment Advisors MI raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 40.7% in the first quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 1,380 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $396,000 after buying an additional 399 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 5,940 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,705,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 24.2% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,226,885 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $639,116,000 after purchasing an additional 434,074 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 8.8% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,623 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empire Financial Management Company LLC boosted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.4% in the first quarter. Empire Financial Management Company LLC now owns 9,616 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,760,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $336.55 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a one year low of $268.23 and a one year high of $358.60. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $318.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $307.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.72, a PEG ratio of 6.03 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NSC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $351.00 to $376.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens upgraded Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $363.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $348.00.

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.