Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Stock Position Boosted by MUFG Securities EMEA plc

MUFG Securities EMEA plc boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 114.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,208 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 4,914 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $2,659,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NSC stock opened at $304.86 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a one year low of $241.82 and a one year high of $326.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.47 billion, a PE ratio of 25.68, a P/E/G ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $303.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $298.50.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 45.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on NSC. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. UBS Group set a $327.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Argus upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $313.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $322.29.

Norfolk Southern 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.