GWN Securities Inc. Buys New Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

GWN Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 1,055 shares of the railroad operator’s stock, valued at approximately $269,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NSC. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norfolk Southern Trading Up 0.9 %

NSC stock opened at $234.42 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. Norfolk Southern Co. has a twelve month low of $206.71 and a twelve month high of $277.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.35. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $246.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $250.40.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on NSC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Friday, March 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $293.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price 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. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” 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 given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.95.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere purchased 607 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $259.86 per share, for a total transaction of $157,735.02. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

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.