Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC Sells 78 Shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC reduced its holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,549 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 78 shares during the quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,302,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 1.8% in the third quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,265 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 1,749 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $435,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,043 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $256,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Norfolk Southern by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC now owns 1,154 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Archer Investment Corp grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 2.3% in the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,934 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $481,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.9 %

Norfolk Southern stock opened at $249.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a market capitalization of $56.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $247.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $249.50. Norfolk Southern Co. has a twelve month low of $206.71 and a twelve month high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The railroad operator reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.07. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 21.63%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13.07 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 46.71%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sameh Fahmy acquired 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $249.37 per share, with a total value of $87,279.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 10,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,580,979.50. This trade represents a 3.50 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere bought 607 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $259.86 per share, with a total value of $157,735.02. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,271.82. This represents a 32.29 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NSC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $253.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stephens lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.11.

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.