Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $318.00 to $323.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective indicates a potential downside of 2.64% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on NSC. Stephens raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $363.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, July 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $348.69.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE:NSC traded down $6.47 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $331.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 313,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,175,542. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83. Norfolk Southern has a 1 year low of $277.80 and a 1 year high of $358.60. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $326.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $320.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.29, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 1.29.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.46 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.48 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.30 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NSC. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $5,033,549,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at $978,977,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,259,558 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $648,429,000 after acquiring an additional 46,127 shares during the period. Amundi grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 24.2% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,226,885 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $639,116,000 after purchasing an additional 434,074 shares during the period. Finally, HBK Investments L P raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 0.8% during the second quarter. HBK Investments L P now owns 1,750,000 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $550,532,000 after acquiring an additional 13,644 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Norfolk Southern

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

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern reported record third-quarter revenue of approximately $3.53 billion, up 13.6% year over year. Adjusted EPS of $3.62 exceeded the $3.46 consensus estimate, while freight-volume growth, higher fuel surcharges and stronger intermodal demand supported results. Norfolk Southern tops profit estimates as freight demand stays strong
• Positive Sentiment: Industry conditions appear favorable for railroads as elevated trucking fuel costs and tighter trucking capacity encourage customers to shift freight toward rail, potentially benefiting Norfolk Southern’s intermodal business. US railroads pull ahead as high fuel costs hit truckers harder
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target for NSC to $379 from $376 and reiterated a Buy rating, indicating continued confidence in the company’s outlook. TD Cowen stock recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, payable November 20 to shareholders of record November 6, maintaining a regular source of shareholder returns. Norfolk Southern declares quarterly dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Norfolk Southern expects 2026 capital expenditures of roughly $2.1 billion, while its operating-expense outlook moved to slightly above $9 billion. The spending should support the network but may limit near-term free-cash-flow growth. Norfolk Southern 2026 capital expenditure and operating expense outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Rising labor, fuel and other operating expenses pressured margins despite the revenue and earnings beat, tempering the impact of the strong quarterly headline results.
• Negative Sentiment: Stephens reduced its price target to $354 from $377, signaling more cautious expectations and likely contributing to the pressure on NSC shares. Stephens adjusts price target on Norfolk Southern

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.