Investment House LLC Decreases Stake in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Investment House LLC reduced its position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,543 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 75 shares during the period. Investment House LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $6,230,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NSC opened at $234.37 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $246.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.25. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $206.71 and a 52 week high of $277.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.27, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. Analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NSC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $293.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $276.95.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern 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.