Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC Purchases Shares of 964 Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC has invested approximately $228,000 in Norfolk Southern Corporation, acquiring 964 shares in the first quarter.
• Norfolk Southern recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, reflecting a 2.0% yield and a payout ratio of 36.49%.
• Analysts have varied ratings on Norfolk Southern, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a price target of $285.15, as seven analysts rate it a Buy and fourteen a Hold.

Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 964 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $228,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Greenline Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the first quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake 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 during the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $288.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Norfolk Southern from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 30th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $285.15.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.7%

NSC stock traded up $2.08 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $279.88. The stock had a trading volume of 1,543,066 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,129,127. The firm has a market cap of $62.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.71 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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $272.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $248.49.

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

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 was Friday, August 1st. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is presently 36.49%.

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.