CSX Co. (NASDAQ:CSX) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of CSX Co. (NASDAQ:CSX) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $38.00.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $38.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 18th. StockNews.com cut shares of CSX from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of CSX from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of CSX from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on CSX from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th.

CSX Trading Down 0.1 %

NASDAQ:CSX opened at $33.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $66.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.18. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $36.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.47. CSX has a 1 year low of $29.03 and a 1 year high of $40.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 17th. The transportation company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.66 billion. CSX had a net margin of 24.75% and a return on equity of 29.58%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that CSX will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

CSX Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 29th were paid a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.41%. This is a boost from CSX’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 28th. CSX’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.37%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CSX

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Value Partners Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CSX in the third quarter worth $1,172,000. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of CSX by 3.1% during the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 24,340,514 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $748,471,000 after purchasing an additional 739,411 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CSX by 3,241.9% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 235,304 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,158,000 after purchasing an additional 228,263 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of CSX by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 723,344 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,078,000 after purchasing an additional 34,730 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of CSX during the fourth quarter valued at $1,279,000. 73.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CSX Company Profile

CSX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides rail-based freight transportation services. The company offers rail services; and transportation of intermodal containers and trailers, as well as other transportation services, such as rail-to-truck transfers and bulk commodity operations. It also transports chemicals, agricultural and food products, minerals, automotive, forest products, fertilizers, and metals and equipment; and coal, coke, and iron ore to electricity-generating power plants, steel manufacturers, and industrial plants, as well as exports coal to deep-water port facilities.