Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $260.00 Price Target at Susquehanna

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price objective cut by Susquehanna from $265.00 to $260.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on NSC. Loop Capital cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $289.00 to $256.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $274.84.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $235.51 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $245.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $249.32. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $206.71 and a 52 week high of $277.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.33 billion, a PE ratio of 20.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.29%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 46.71%.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere bought 607 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $259.86 per share, with a total value of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.