Norfolk Southern - NSC Stock Forecast, Price & News

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, scrap paper, beverages, canned goods, and consumer products; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, and sand; 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. It also transports overseas freight through various Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports; and provides commuter rail passenger transportation services and operates an intermodal network. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated approximately 19,300 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Norfolk Southern Corporation was incorporated in 1980 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $260.21 on Friday. Norfolk Southern has a 1 year low of $217.00 and a 1 year high of $299.20. The firm has a market cap of $61.12 billion, a PE ratio of 20.72, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $235.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $253.23.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC - Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 27th. The railroad operator reported $3.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.48 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.14 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 25.57% and a return on equity of 22.42%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 13.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 5th. Norfolk Southern's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on NSC. Susquehanna Bancshares decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $350.00 to $275.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 6th. Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $331.00 to $316.00 in a report on Thursday, July 28th. Credit Suisse Group began coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Monday, June 27th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $267.00 target price for the company. Cowen cut their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $331.00 to $316.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $340.00 to $274.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $283.10.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director James A. Squires sold 105,420 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.81, for a total transaction of $26,229,550.20. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 42,728 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,631,153.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 1,000 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.84, for a total value of $241,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 34,255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,284,229.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director James A. Squires sold 105,420 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.81, for a total transaction of $26,229,550.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 42,728 shares in the company, valued at $10,631,153.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.