Entropy Technologies LP Takes Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 14,756 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $4,235,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,272,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 43,408 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $12,533,000 after buying an additional 3,887 shares during the last quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. now owns 50,620 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $14,615,000 after acquiring an additional 16,720 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 138,194 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $39,899,000 after acquiring an additional 10,910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 54.4% in the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 51,112 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $14,757,000 after acquiring an additional 18,012 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

More Norfolk Southern News

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on NSC shares. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Evercore set a $358.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their price target on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $351.69 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $317.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $306.16. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1-year low of $268.23 and a 1-year high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 1.27.

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

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 46.08%.

Norfolk Southern 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.