Gibbs Wealth Management Invests $530,000 in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Gibbs Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,846 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $530,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $892,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $929,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 6,290 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,805,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NSC stock opened at $351.69 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1 year low of $268.23 and a 1 year high of $358.60. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $317.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $306.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.29 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.08%.

Key Headlines Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern beat Q2 expectations, posting $3.52 in EPS and revenue above estimates, with revenue up 12.5% year over year and record quarterly sales. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $385 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target to $376, reflecting a more constructive view after the earnings release, even though it kept a neutral rating. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its target to $338 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting valuation looks less compelling after the recent move higher. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted lower profitability and margin pressure despite the revenue beat, which may temper enthusiasm if cost pressures persist. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability was held back by higher fuel costs and lower efficiency, showing that cost inflation remains a headwind even as demand improves. TipRanks article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on NSC. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $351.00 to $376.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $322.00 to $313.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

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.