Foster Group Inc. Buys Shares of 1,344 Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Foster Group Inc. has acquired 1,344 shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation, valued at approximately $344,000, indicating growing interest in the railroad sector by institutional investors.
• Norfolk Southern reported $3.29 earnings per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.24, and has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13 EPS.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.35, resulting in an annual yield of 1.9%, with a payout ratio of 36.49%.

Foster Group Inc. bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,344 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $344,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Norfolk Southern by 129.2% in the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 149 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NYSE:NSC opened at $290.60 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $278.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $252.08. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1-year low of $201.63 and a 1-year high of $294.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $65.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.29.

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

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on NSC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $288.00 price target (up previously from $282.00) on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Baird R W raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Norfolk Southern from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $263.00 to $323.00 in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $286.25.

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.

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