Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Acquires 1,678 Shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 74,333 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,678 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $17,446,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Norfolk Southern by 2.4% during the third quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Albert D Mason Inc. raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Albert D Mason Inc. now owns 6,881 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,615,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 960 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $225,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,507 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $588,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, CKW Financial Group raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 7.7% in the third quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 700 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $174,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NSC stock opened at $233.45 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $246.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $250.02. The company has a market cap of $52.86 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. Norfolk Southern Co. has a fifty-two week low of $206.71 and a fifty-two week high of $277.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.90.

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

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.71%.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In other news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at $646,271.82. The trade was a 32.29 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on NSC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $293.00 price objective on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.95.

About Norfolk Southern

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.