Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price Target Raised at TD Cowen

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target hoisted by equities research analysts at TD Cowen from $376.00 to $379.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. TD Cowen‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 13.40% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on NSC. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $310.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $347.12.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE:NSC opened at $334.22 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $277.80 and a 1-year high of $358.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $326.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $320.58.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.46 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.48 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 12.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth $5,033,549,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $978,977,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $503,093,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $364,414,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $356,558,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results exceeded expectations. Norfolk Southern reported record quarterly revenue of approximately $3.53 billion, up 13.6% year over year. Adjusted EPS was reported at $3.62 versus the $3.46 consensus estimate, while diluted EPS was $3.37. Revenue also surpassed forecasts of roughly $3.48 billion. Norfolk Southern tops profit estimates as freight demand stays strong
• Positive Sentiment: Volumes and pricing improved. Higher freight volumes, fuel surcharges and stronger intermodal demand drove the revenue growth. Railroads are also gaining relative to trucking as elevated fuel costs and tighter trucking capacity encourage customers to shift more freight to rail. NSC Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Record Revenues, Volume Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return remains intact. NSC declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, payable November 20 to shareholders of record November 6, equivalent to $5.40 annually and an indicated yield of about 1.6%. Norfolk Southern Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Management plans substantial investment. Norfolk Southern outlined approximately $2.1 billion in 2026 capital expenditures, while its updated operating-expense outlook moved slightly above $9 billion. The spending may support network capacity and future growth but could limit near-term cash flow. Norfolk Southern outlines 2026 CapEx and OpEx outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Costs and valuation remain risks. Rising expenses, including labor and fuel-related costs, pressured margins despite the earnings beat. Stephens also reduced its NSC price target to $354 from $377, signaling more limited upside after the recent strength. Stephens Adjusts Price Target on Norfolk Southern

About Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) is a transportation company that operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in the eastern United States. Through its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary, the company provides rail transportation and related services across a broad territory spanning portions of the Midwest, South and East Coast, including access to major industrial centers, ports and distribution markets.

Norfolk Southern transports a diverse range of commodities, including intermodal freight, merchandise, automotive products, coal and other energy-related materials.