11,664 Shares in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired 11,664 Norfolk Southern shares worth approximately $3.67 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 75.10% of the railroad operator.
• Norfolk Southern reported quarterly EPS of $3.52, beating estimates of $3.32, while revenue rose 12.5% year over year to $3.46 billion.
• NSC shares traded at $350.77, near their 52-week high, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $348. The company also pays a $1.35 quarterly dividend, yielding about 1.5% annually.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 11,664 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $3,669,000.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,033,549,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,084,701,000. Pentwater Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth approximately $826,128,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at $364,414,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at $356,558,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE NSC opened at $350.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $78.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.93, a PEG ratio of 6.14 and a beta of 1.27. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $328.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $313.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 52 week low of $268.23 and a 52 week high of $358.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.38 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.02% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.29 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is currently 46.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on NSC shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $363.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, July 24th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $365.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Evercore set a $358.00 price objective on Norfolk Southern in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $348.00.

Norfolk Southern Profile

Norfolk Southern Corporation is a major U.S. freight railroad company that provides rail transportation and related logistics services. As a Class I carrier, the company operates an extensive network across the eastern United States and offers scheduled freight service for a broad range of industries. Its core operations include long-haul and regional rail freight transportation, intermodal services that move containers and trailers between rail and other modes, and terminal and switching services that support efficient rail shipments for industrial and port customers.

The company transports a variety of commodities, serving sectors such as coal and energy, automotive and automotive parts, chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction materials, and consumer goods.

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