Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target Raised to $317.00 at Rothschild & Co Redburn

Key Points

• Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target on Norfolk Southern to $317 (from $299) while maintaining a neutral rating, implying about a 4.6% upside from the current price.
• The analyst consensus is a Hold with an average target of $308.95 (7 Buys, 18 Holds); Norfolk Southern recently beat earnings at $3.22 EPS vs. $2.76 expected but missed revenue at $3.00B vs. $3.03B, with revenue down 1.7% year‑over‑year.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at Rothschild & Co Redburn from $299.00 to $317.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the railroad operator's stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn's price objective indicates a potential upside of 4.61% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on NSC. Benchmark reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research lifted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $361.00 to $368.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Norfolk Southern from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Norfolk Southern from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $354.00 to $297.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $347.00 to $333.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eighteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $308.95.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 2.5%

NSC opened at $303.02 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $68.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.77, a PEG ratio of 5.61 and a beta of 1.31. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $300.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $291.55. Norfolk Southern has a 52 week low of $201.63 and a 52 week high of $319.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 75.0% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 207.1% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 86 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 933.3% in the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 93 shares of the railroad operator's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Norfolk Southern

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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