Benchmark Reaffirms Buy Rating for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC)

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Benchmark in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $285.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock. Benchmark’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 11.57% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on NSC. Bank of America increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $277.74.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $255.44 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $249.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $248.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. Norfolk Southern has a 12 month low of $206.71 and a 12 month high of $277.60. The firm has a market cap of $57.79 billion, a PE ratio of 22.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.34.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.50%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern will post 13.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Sameh Fahmy bought 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,580,979.50. This represents a 3.50 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Company Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.