Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) Shares Acquired by BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,359 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,783 shares during the quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $8,290,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Advisors LLC now owns 18,300 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $4,548,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 43.4% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,124 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,001,000 after purchasing an additional 6,086 shares during the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 1.6% during the third quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 21,914 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $5,446,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 1.3% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 6,086 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,512,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter valued at $78,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $268.95 on Monday. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 52 week low of $206.71 and a 52 week high of $277.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The stock has a market cap of $60.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $253.90 and a 200-day moving average of $239.96.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.11 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 19.85% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.65 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is currently 50.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on NSC shares. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $263.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $291.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.68.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Norfolk Southern news, Director Sameh Fahmy acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $255.00 per share, with a total value of $255,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,550,000. This represents a 11.11 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.98, for a total transaction of $13,138,173.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,045 shares in the company, valued at $8,970,819.10. This represents a 59.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.