Nicolet Bankshares Inc. Sells 987 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Nicolet Bankshares Inc. reduced its stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation by 14.6%, now holding 5,796 shares worth approximately $1.37 million.
• Several hedge funds increased their positions in Norfolk Southern, with Price T Rowe Associates raising its stake by 31.5% and GAMMA Investing LLC by an astonishing 25,555.7%.
• Norfolk Southern announced a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, representing a yield of 1.9%, with a payout ratio of 36.49%.

Nicolet Bankshares Inc. reduced its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 14.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,796 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 987 shares during the quarter. Nicolet Bankshares Inc.'s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,373,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in NSC. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter valued at about $309,000. Capital Analysts LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2,150.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 450 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,115 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 827 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

NYSE NSC traded up $5.76 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $278.11. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,031,661 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,221,313. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $272.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 1 year low of $201.63 and a 1 year high of $291.69. The company has a market capitalization of $62.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.79, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.31.

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

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on NSC shares. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Norfolk Southern from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $255.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, TD Cowen upgraded Norfolk Southern from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $263.00 to $323.00 in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $285.15.

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.