Private Advisor Group LLC Sells 547 Shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Private Advisor Group LLC trimmed its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,092 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 547 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $4,993,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NSC. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 72.7% during the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 2,900 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $739,000 after purchasing an additional 1,221 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 41,527 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $10,584,000 after acquiring an additional 2,483 shares during the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $207,000. Roberts Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $565,000. Finally, LVW Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Norfolk Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $205,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $251.09 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $56.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.54. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1 year low of $183.76 and a 1 year high of $263.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $249.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $237.00.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.11 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 19.85% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.65 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st will be given a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 1st. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NSC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $283.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $274.16.

Insider Buying and Selling at Norfolk Southern

In other news, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.98, for a total value of $13,138,173.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 35,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,970,819.10. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $371,077.44. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 35,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,970,819.10. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders purchased a total of 3,700 shares of company stock valued at $921,565 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

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.