Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The railroad operator reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.11 by $0.14, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 19.64% and a net margin of 14.85%. Norfolk Southern’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.65 EPS.
Norfolk Southern Stock Performance
Norfolk Southern stock traded down $3.45 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $256.98. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,553,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,259,925. Norfolk Southern has a 12-month low of $183.09 and a 12-month high of $263.66. The company has a market capitalization of $58.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.38, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.63. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $248.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $236.88.
Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, November 1st will be paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 1st. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio is 86.96%.
Insider Activity at Norfolk Southern
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Norfolk Southern from $283.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $253.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $274.16.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on NSC
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.
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