Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $292.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $296.00 to $292.00 in a report published on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Benchmark reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Argus raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $305.53.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NSC opened at $288.49 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $70.63 billion, a PE ratio of 22.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $299.89 and a 200-day moving average of $293.18. Norfolk Southern has a 52-week low of $202.54 and a 52-week high of $319.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.85.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 23.59%.The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research raised its price target to $355 and kept an “outperform” rating, signaling meaningful upside and upbeat freight/earnings expectations. Wolfe Research PT Raise Tickerreport
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated its buy rating on NSC, providing continued fundamental support from an influential shop. Bernstein Keeps Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $313 but maintained a “neutral” rating — a modest supportive datapoint but not a clear buy signal. Citigroup PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its target to $313 (from $314) but kept a “buy” rating — a small cut that still signals continued upside expectation. TD Cowen PT Adjust
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan slightly lowered its target to $292 and kept a “neutral” rating, a small adjustment that likely has limited impact on momentum. JPMorgan PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its target sharply to $310 from $350 and kept a “hold” rating — the largest downward adjustment among peers and a signal that upside may be more limited than previously thought. Jefferies PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks published analysis saying EPS estimates are moving “southbound” and discussed risks to the stock if revisions continue, which could pressure valuation and near-term trader sentiment. Zacks EPS Analysis

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.