Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $346.94

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $348.81.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NSC shares. Stephens raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $310.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $386.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter valued at $3,272,000. SCS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth about $13,837,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,669,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $1,376,000. Finally, PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 29.2% in the second 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 during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $329.85 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $326.46 and a 200-day moving average of $320.87. Norfolk Southern has a 1-year low of $277.80 and a 1-year high of $358.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $74.09 billion, a PE ratio of 27.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.91 and a beta of 1.29.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.46 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 20.70% and a return on equity of 18.22%. The business had revenue of $3.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.48 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 45.26%.

Key Stories Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results exceeded expectations: reported EPS was approximately $3.62 versus the $3.46 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $3.53 billion versus expectations of $3.48 billion. Earnings also improved from $3.30 per share a year earlier. Reuters earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: Higher freight volumes, fuel surcharges and tighter trucking capacity supported rail demand and helped Norfolk Southern produce record railway operating revenue. Zacks earnings analysis
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target from $376 to $379 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying meaningful upside based on the referenced share price. Norfolk Southern revenue announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Norfolk Southern declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, payable November 20 to shareholders of record November 6. The annualized payout is $5.40, or roughly a 1.6% yield. Dividend announcement
• Negative Sentiment: High fuel and other operating costs pressured efficiency and margins. Management lifted its 2026 operating-expense outlook to slightly above $9 billion, while capital spending is expected to be approximately $2.1 billion. Norfolk Southern expense outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst views were mixed: JPMorgan raised its target from $318 to $323 but retained a “neutral” rating, while Stephens cut its target from $377 to $354, reinforcing concerns about valuation and cost execution. Stephens price target report

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

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.