Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Given New $355.00 Price Target at BMO Capital Markets

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price raised by BMO Capital Markets from $310.00 to $355.00 in a report released on Monday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $363.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $348.00.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 2.2%

NSC opened at $343.05 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $317.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $306.66. The firm has a market cap of $77.05 billion, a PE ratio of 29.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern has a twelve month low of $268.23 and a twelve month high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 12.42 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.08%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NSC. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,825,837 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,012,836,000 after buying an additional 272,651 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,710,549 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $2,803,630,000 after acquiring an additional 379,819 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,878,029 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,401,797,000 after acquiring an additional 36,205 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,084,701,000. Finally, Pentwater Capital Management LP boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. Pentwater Capital Management LP now owns 3,019,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $871,646,000 after acquiring an additional 269,000 shares during the last quarter. 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: Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific submitted supplemental information to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), including expanded gateway-pricing commitments and customer protections. The companies said the measures are designed to support faster, more reliable service and address concerns about the proposed merger. The filing may improve the merger’s regulatory prospects, although STB approval remains outstanding. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger customer assurances
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its Norfolk Southern price target to $355 from $310, while Robert W. Baird increased its target to $377 from $360. The higher targets suggest analysts see additional potential value, despite BMO retaining a “market perform” rating and Baird maintaining a “neutral” rating. Benzinga analyst price targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports citing JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroup analysts indicated expectations for Norfolk Southern shares to appreciate, while Barclays continued to rate the stock “buy.” These calls reinforce a generally constructive outlook but provide less immediate impact than a change in earnings or company guidance. JPMorgan analyst outlook Wells Fargo analyst outlook Citigroup analyst outlook Barclays rating
• Negative Sentiment: No new material negative operating or earnings update was reported. However, merger-related regulatory uncertainty remains a risk, and the stock’s elevated valuation means investors may require continued execution and progress toward approval to justify further gains.

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.