Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Sells 3,614 Shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC sold 3,614 shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation, reducing its holdings by 5.1% to 67,849 shares valued at approximately $17.8 million.
• Norfolk Southern reported a quarterly EPS of $3.29, exceeding analysts' expectations, with a revenue of $3.11 billion compared to estimates of $3.10 billion.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, translating to an annual dividend yield of 1.9% and a payout ratio of 36.49%.

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) by 5.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 67,849 shares of the railroad operator's stock after selling 3,614 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $17,810,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth $27,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 129.2% during the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 149 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Norfolk Southern stock traded up $1.93 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $292.48. The stock had a trading volume of 553,744 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,621,077. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12 month low of $201.63 and a 12 month high of $294.78. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $278.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $252.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.70 billion, a PE ratio of 19.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.29. 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 (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.24 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $3.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.10 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 19.35% and a net margin of 27.51%. Norfolk Southern has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Corporation will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 1st 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, August 1st. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is presently 36.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NSC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Benchmark downgraded Norfolk Southern from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Baird R W raised Norfolk Southern to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $255.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Norfolk Southern from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Loop Capital lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $235.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $286.25.

About Norfolk Southern

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.