Robert W. Baird Boosts Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Price Target to $270.00

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) had its price target lifted by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $260.00 to $270.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective points to a potential upside of 4.52% from the company’s current price.

NSC has been the subject of several other reports. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $241.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.53.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Norfolk Southern stock traded up $1.60 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $258.34. 303,885 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,227,039. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.65. Norfolk Southern has a 12-month low of $206.71 and a 12-month high of $277.60. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $249.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $248.69. The company has a market capitalization of $58.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.34.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 19.85% and a return on equity of 20.25%. Analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern will post 11.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Sameh Fahmy acquired 350 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 10,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,580,979.50. This trade represents a 3.50 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,265 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 2.4% in the third quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $435,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.2% during the third quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,043 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $256,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Norfolk Southern by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC now owns 1,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $287,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Archer Investment Corp lifted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.3% in the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,934 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $481,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.