Amundi Boosts Holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Amundi grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 56.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,302,635 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 469,558 shares during the period. Amundi owned approximately 0.58% of Norfolk Southern worth $308,607,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NSC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC opened at $243.89 on Friday. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1 year low of $206.71 and a 1 year high of $277.60. The company has a market cap of $55.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $246.51 and a 200-day moving average of $250.85.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 20.04%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.71%.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere acquired 607 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,580,979.50. This represents a 3.50 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NSC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Friday. They set a “buy” rating and a $293.00 price target for the company. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Stephens raised their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $276.95.

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.