Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Stock Holdings Lifted by Montag A & Associates Inc.

Montag A & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,929 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Montag A & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,874,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Provence Wealth Management Group acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 662.5% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 122 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

NSC stock traded down $5.79 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $226.35. 4,717,549 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,363,551. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $183.09 and a 52 week high of $263.66. The business has a 50-day moving average of $248.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $234.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.13 billion, a PE ratio of 36.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.30.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The railroad operator reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.58 by ($0.09). Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 11.76% and a return on equity of 19.61%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 3rd will be paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 86.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NSC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Monday, January 29th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $302.00 to $294.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $270.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $250.00 to $245.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $305.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.32.

About Norfolk Southern

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.