Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Has $37.73 Million Stock Holdings in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its Norfolk Southern stake by 128.1% in the first quarter, ending with 131,455 shares valued at approximately $37.73 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.1% of the railroad operator.
• Norfolk Southern reported quarterly EPS of $3.52, exceeding estimates of $3.32, while revenue reached $3.46 billion, up 12.5% year over year and above analyst expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, equivalent to $5.40 annually and a 1.5% yield. Despite recent analyst price-target increases, the consensus rating remains “Hold,” with a target of $344.35.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 128.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 131,455 shares of the railroad operator's stock after purchasing an additional 73,835 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned about 0.06% of Norfolk Southern worth $37,728,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,447 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,527,000 after purchasing an additional 1,855 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth $327,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Norfolk Southern by 64.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 4,275 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 1,670 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 185.1% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 4,588 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 2,979 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NSC stock opened at $351.69 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $317.37 and a 200-day moving average of $306.29. The stock has a market cap of $78.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 52-week low of $268.23 and a 52-week high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.08%.

Norfolk Southern News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern beat Q2 expectations, posting $3.52 in EPS and revenue above estimates, with revenue up 12.5% year over year and record quarterly sales. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $385 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target to $376, reflecting a more constructive view after the earnings release, even though it kept a neutral rating. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its target to $338 but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting valuation looks less compelling after the recent move higher. Benzinga article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted lower profitability and margin pressure despite the revenue beat, which may temper enthusiasm if cost pressures persist. Seeking Alpha article
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability was held back by higher fuel costs and lower efficiency, showing that cost inflation remains a headwind even as demand improves. TipRanks article

Analyst Ratings Changes

NSC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Benchmark restated a "hold" rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $337.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $344.35.

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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