Jupiter Topco LLC Takes Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Jupiter Topco LLC acquired 42,652 shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter, valued at approximately $13.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 75.1% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with seven Buy ratings and 15 Hold ratings; the consensus rating is Hold with an average price target of $348.
• Norfolk Southern exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.52 in EPS and $3.46 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 12.5% year over year. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, yielding about 1.5% annually.

Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 42,652 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $13,418,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth about $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Barclays increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $363.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens raised Norfolk Southern to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Norfolk Southern from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Seven research 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.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $348.00.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC opened at $348.67 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $332.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $315.01. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12 month low of $268.23 and a 12 month high of $358.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02%.The company had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.74 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.08%.

About Norfolk Southern

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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