Rational Advisors Inc. Makes New $762,000 Investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Rational Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,421 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $762,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth $5,033,549,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,710,549 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $2,803,630,000 after acquiring an additional 379,819 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,878,029 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,401,797,000 after acquiring an additional 36,205 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth $1,084,701,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth about $978,977,000. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NSC opened at $348.67 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $332.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $315.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock has a market cap of $78.31 billion, a PE ratio of 29.75, a P/E/G ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1 year low of $268.23 and a 1 year high of $358.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 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 firm had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.29 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.74 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.08%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on NSC shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $363.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $348.00.

About Norfolk Southern

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.