Home Federal Bank of Tennessee Cuts Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Home Federal Bank of Tennessee lessened its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,177 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 160 shares during the quarter. Norfolk Southern comprises 0.6% of Home Federal Bank of Tennessee’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $1,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Coastline Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 54.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 193 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Trading Down 0.7 %

NSC opened at $255.44 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $248.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $249.15. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 12 month low of $206.71 and a 12 month high of $277.60. The firm has a market cap of $57.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.10, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last announced 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 research analysts anticipate that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is presently 46.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NSC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $302.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $284.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $274.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Norfolk Southern

In other news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the purchase, the director now owns 10,350 shares in the company, valued at $2,580,979.50. This trade represents a 3.50 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern 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.