Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 18th, 2026

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $335.44 and last traded at $335.7240, with a volume of 20755 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $328.54.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NSC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group set a $327.00 target price on Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Evercore set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, April 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $329.35.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $304.41. The company has a market capitalization of $76.42 billion, a PE ratio of 28.66, a P/E/G ratio of 6.18 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 21.91%.The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.24 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 45.49%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% during the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% during the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

(Get Free Report)

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.