Avanza Fonder AB Invests $1.55 Million in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Avanza Fonder AB bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 5,378 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,553,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on NSC. UBS Group cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $342.00 price target for the company. in a report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reduced their target price on Norfolk Southern from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $308.95.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $283.74 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $300.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $292.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The company has a market cap of $63.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.25, a P/E/G ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 1.31. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a twelve month low of $201.63 and a twelve month high of $319.94.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 23.59% and a return on equity of 18.78%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is currently 42.35%.

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

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.