Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Raises Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 134.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,160 shares of the railroad operator's stock after purchasing an additional 8,123 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $3,323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Atlantic Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $223.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 718,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,212,557. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $242.84. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $277.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $50.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The railroad operator reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.72 by ($0.03). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. The business had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 2nd. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is presently 36.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on NSC shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $275.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Susquehanna cut their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $250.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated 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 for the company. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $266.10.

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.