Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Buys 5,857 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) by 52.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,102 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after buying an additional 5,857 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $4,908,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $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 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 669.2% during the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 100 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $322.85 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $312.52 and its 200 day moving average is $302.01. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1-year low of $257.49 and a 1-year high of $326.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $72.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.20, a PEG ratio of 5.96 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.69 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 45.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on NSC. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $320.35.

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.