Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC Shares Sold by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management cut its Norfolk Southern stake by 13.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,415 shares and ending with 22,612 shares valued at about $6.53 million.
• Norfolk Southern reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, with EPS of $2.65 versus estimates of $2.49, though revenue came in below expectations at $3.0 billion.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 1.8%, while analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with a target price of $322.29.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. decreased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 13.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,612 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 3,415 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $6,529,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cullen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 31.8% during the third quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC now owns 121,351 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $36,455,000 after buying an additional 29,264 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth about $24,033,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 0.8% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 250,186 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $75,158,000 after buying an additional 2,049 shares during the period. Primecap Management Co. CA boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 7.9% during the third quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 1,132,583 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $340,239,000 after buying an additional 82,500 shares during the period. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth about $1,550,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NSC opened at $307.65 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $69.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.92, a PEG ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 1.27. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 52 week low of $243.70 and a 52 week high of $326.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $303.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $298.50.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.16. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NSC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. UBS Group set a $327.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $322.29.

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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