Maple Capital Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Maple Capital Management Inc. has purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation, acquiring 1,174 shares worth approximately $278,000 in the first quarter.
• The company reported earnings per share of $3.29 for the latest quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.24, along with revenues of $3.11 billion, also above the anticipated $3.10 billion.
• A recent dividend of $1.35 per share was distributed, representing an annualized dividend of $5.40 and a dividend yield of 2.0%, with a payout ratio of 36.49%.

Maple Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,174 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $278,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.9% in the 4th 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. Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 77.8% in the 4th quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 5,356 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,257,000 after acquiring an additional 2,343 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 20.2% in the 4th quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 9,448 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $2,217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,588 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 518,170 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $121,614,000 after acquiring an additional 22,005 shares during the period. Finally, NorthRock Partners LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 189.8% in the 4th quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 2,489 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 1,630 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 0.3%

Norfolk Southern stock traded up $0.90 during trading on Friday, reaching $274.90. 2,243,787 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,938,557. The company's 50-day moving average is $276.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.41. 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 Corporation has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $291.69. The firm has a market cap of $61.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.57, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.29.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.10 billion. Norfolk Southern has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 1st were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 1st. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is currently 36.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NSC has been the subject of several research reports. Benchmark cut shares of Norfolk Southern from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. Evercore ISI reissued an "in-line" rating and set a $289.00 price objective (up from $279.00) on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Susquehanna reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $260.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $285.15.

Norfolk Southern 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.