Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Shares Sold by Amundi

Key Points

• Amundi has reduced its stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation by 49.5% in Q1, now holding 658,416 shares valued at approximately $145.34 million.
• Norfolk Southern has received mixed ratings from analysts, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a price target averaging around $285.15.
• The company reported a net margin of 27.51% and an EPS of $3.29 for the recent quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations.

Amundi trimmed its position in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 49.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 658,416 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 644,219 shares during the period. Amundi owned about 0.29% of Norfolk Southern worth $145,339,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 883.3% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 177 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 3,571 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $846,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 71,463 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $16,925,000 after acquiring an additional 2,782 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,179 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $990,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the period. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 1st quarter worth about $1,042,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 0.8%

NSC traded down $2.23 on Friday, reaching $277.53. 1,302,006 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,897,278. The company's 50 day moving average is $274.85 and its 200-day moving average is $249.36. The company has a market cap of $62.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.75, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.29. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a twelve month low of $201.63 and a twelve month high of $291.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.24 by $0.05. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 27.51% and a return on equity of 19.35%. The company had revenue of $3.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. Norfolk Southern has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 1st were given a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 1st. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on NSC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $288.00 price objective (up from $282.00) on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $278.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Monday, June 2nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $285.15.

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.