Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Grows Stock Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Robeco Institutional Asset Management increased its Norfolk Southern stake by 8.6% in Q4 to 138,194 shares (about $39.9 million), representing roughly 0.06% of the company.
• Norfolk Southern reported Q4 EPS of $3.22, beating estimates of $2.76 while revenue declined 1.7% year-over-year to $3.0 billion, and recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share (annualized $5.40, ~1.8% yield).
• The stock trades near $297 with a 52-week range of $212.24–$319.94, a market cap of $72.7B and a consensus analyst rating of Hold with a $308.78 average price target.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 8.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 138,194 shares of the railroad operator's stock after buying an additional 10,910 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned about 0.06% of Norfolk Southern worth $39,899,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $400,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 40.4% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,447 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,527,000 after buying an additional 1,855 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at about $327,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 64.1% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 4,275 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,094,000 after buying an additional 1,670 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 185.1% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 4,588 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $1,174,000 after buying an additional 2,979 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NSC opened at $297.02 on Tuesday. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $212.24 and a fifty-two week high of $319.94. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $300.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $293.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market cap of $72.72 billion, a PE ratio of 23.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.43 and a beta of 1.31.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.46. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 23.59%.The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.04 EPS. Norfolk Southern's quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NSC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Norfolk Southern to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $317.00 to $308.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $296.00 to $292.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $308.78.

Norfolk Southern Company 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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