Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Stock Acquired by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC – Free Report) by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 40,314 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,584 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $12,618,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. SCS Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $13,837,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth approximately $3,669,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth approximately $1,376,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 35,598 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $11,199,000 after purchasing an additional 5,233 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 29.2% during the 2nd quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab now owns 54,620 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $17,183,000 after purchasing an additional 12,350 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $344.35 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $325.88 and its 200-day moving average is $315.71. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 52-week low of $277.80 and a 52-week high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $77.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.21, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.20.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.46 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.48 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.22% and a net margin of 20.70%. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.30 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.80 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 45.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NSC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $376.00 to $379.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $318.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $348.81.

Get Our Latest Report on NSC

About Norfolk Southern

(Free Report)

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) is a transportation company that operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in the eastern United States. Through its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary, the company provides rail transportation and related services across a broad territory spanning portions of the Midwest, South and East Coast, including access to major industrial centers, ports and distribution markets.

Norfolk Southern transports a diverse range of commodities, including intermodal freight, merchandise, automotive products, coal and other energy-related materials.

Further Reading

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC)

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