Good Life Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Good Life Advisors LLC raised its position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 21.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,534 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the quarter. Good Life Advisors LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cedar Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth about $31,000. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 1.7 %

NSC opened at $252.37 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $183.09 and a 52 week high of $263.66. The business’s 50 day moving average is $247.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $236.87. The firm has a market cap of $57.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.31.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 19.64%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.95 EPS. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.79 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, November 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is currently 86.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NSC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $267.00 to $272.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $241.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.17.

Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern

In other Norfolk Southern news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $371,077.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Richard H. Anderson acquired 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was bought at an average price of $247.48 per share, for a total transaction of $494,960.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at $742,440. This represents a 200.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $371,077.44. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.