WINTON GROUP Ltd Takes $3.49 Million Position in Norfolk Southern Corporation $NSC

Key Points

• WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new 11,600‑share position in Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) during Q3 valued at approximately $3.49 million.
• Norfolk Southern beat quarterly EPS expectations ($3.22 vs. $2.76) while revenue was slightly down year‑over‑year, and the company recently paid a $1.35 quarterly dividend (annualized $5.40, ~1.8% yield).
• Analysts carry a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $308.95; the stock trades near $299 with a market cap of about $67.1 billion and a P/E of 23.45.

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 11,600 shares of the railroad operator's stock, valued at approximately $3,485,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in Norfolk Southern by 75.0% in the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. MMA Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 68.9% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 103 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE NSC opened at $298.96 on Wednesday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $300.48 and its 200 day moving average is $291.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a 12 month low of $201.63 and a 12 month high of $319.94. The stock has a market cap of $67.14 billion, a PE ratio of 23.45, a P/E/G ratio of 5.46 and a beta of 1.31.

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

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Norfolk Southern's payout ratio is presently 42.35%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NSC has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $301.00 to $296.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $299.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Benchmark reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eighteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $308.95.

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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