Insider Buying: Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Director Buys 607 Shares of Stock

Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were bought at an average price of $259.86 per share, with a total value of $157,735.02. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC opened at $253.14 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $248.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $249.29. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12-month low of $206.71 and a 12-month high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 46.71%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth $25,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on NSC shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Barclays upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $274.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $289.00 to $256.00 in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.11.

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.