Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC Trims Stock Position in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 0.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 19,879 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after selling 81 shares during the period. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $4,940,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of NSC. Cedar Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the first quarter worth $27,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Norfolk Southern in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $253.42 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $248.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.88. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1 year low of $183.09 and a 1 year high of $263.66. The firm has a market cap of $57.30 billion, a PE ratio of 23.80, 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 quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.73.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 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 analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 20.25% and a net margin of 19.85%. The business’s revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.65 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st will be paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 1st. Norfolk Southern’s payout ratio is 50.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on NSC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $283.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Loop Capital increased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group lifted their price target on Norfolk Southern from $289.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $272.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $276.00 to $291.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $274.16.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $371,077.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Alan H. Shaw sold 51,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $8,970,819.10. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $371,077.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate 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.