Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Downgraded by Weiss Ratings to Hold (C+)

Key Points

• Norfolk Southern was downgraded by Weiss Ratings from a "buy (B-)" to a "hold (C+)" rating, indicating a shift in analyst sentiment towards the company.
• The current consensus rating for Norfolk Southern is "Hold" with a price target averaging $299.70 from various analysts, reflecting mixed outlooks on the stock's performance.
• Despite a slight earnings miss in its latest quarterly report, Norfolk Southern reported revenue of $3.10 billion, which was in line with analysts' expectations, showcasing resilience in its financial performance.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Weiss Ratings from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday,Weiss Ratings reports.

NSC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $235.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $307.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Baird R W raised shares of Norfolk Southern to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $299.70.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $280.29 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a 52-week low of $201.63 and a 52-week high of $302.24. The stock has a market cap of $62.96 billion, a PE ratio of 21.38, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $285.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $262.58.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.31 by ($0.01). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 24.22% and a return on equity of 19.13%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.25 earnings per share. Norfolk Southern's revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NSC. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 883.3% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 177 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $597,000. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 52.5% during the 2nd quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC now owns 4,441 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $1,137,000 after acquiring an additional 1,528 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 76,057 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $19,468,000 after acquiring an additional 3,367 shares during the period. Finally, Pure Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $235,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company's stock.

Norfolk Southern Company 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.

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