Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Raised to $309.00

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target increased by investment analysts at UBS Group from $289.00 to $309.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 20.37% from the stock’s previous close.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $251.00 to $253.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $267.00 to $272.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $269.83.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NSC stock traded down $3.72 on Wednesday, reaching $256.71. 290,004 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,253,690. The stock has a market cap of $57.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $248.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $236.73. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $183.09 and a 1-year high of $263.66.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 19.64% and a net margin of 14.85%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.65 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 11.79 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Sameh Fahmy bought 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $245.15 per share, with a total value of $171,605.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 7,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,887,655. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $245.15 per share, for a total transaction of $171,605.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 7,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,887,655. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.98, for a total transaction of $13,138,173.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 35,045 shares in the company, valued at $8,970,819.10. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NSC. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 72.7% during the first quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 2,900 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $739,000 after acquiring an additional 1,221 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 6.4% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 41,527 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $10,584,000 after acquiring an additional 2,483 shares during the period. Sunburst Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 16.4% during the first quarter. Sunburst Financial Group LLC now owns 1,063 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 3.0% during the first quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO now owns 1,477 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter valued at approximately $56,144,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.