Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Raised to $338.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its target price upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $316.00 to $338.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the railroad operator’s stock.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on NSC. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $351.69 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a one year low of $268.23 and a one year high of $358.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $317.37 and its 200 day moving average is $306.16. The firm has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.37 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.24 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.49%.

Institutional Trading of Norfolk Southern

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 791 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,090 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $892,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $929,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 3.3% in the first quarter. Sovereign Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,108 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 6,290 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,805,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern beat Q2 expectations, posting $3.52 in EPS and revenue above estimates, with revenue up 12.5% year over year and record quarterly sales. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $385 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target to $376, reflecting a more constructive view after the earnings release, even though it kept a neutral rating. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its target to $338 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting valuation looks less compelling after the recent move higher. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted lower profitability and margin pressure despite the revenue beat, which may temper enthusiasm if cost pressures persist. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability was held back by higher fuel costs and lower efficiency, showing that cost inflation remains a headwind even as demand improves. TipRanks article

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.