KCM Investment Advisors LLC Grows Holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC)

KCM Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) by 21.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,665 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $391,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 3.6% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 255,200 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $63,417,000 after purchasing an additional 8,844 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,694,573 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $1,098,472,000 after purchasing an additional 113,648 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Norfolk Southern during the fourth quarter worth about $1,796,000. Grandview Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern during the 4th quarter worth about $918,000. Finally, Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC increased its stake in Norfolk Southern by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 5,678 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $1,333,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norfolk Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NSC stock opened at $210.78 on Monday. Norfolk Southern Co. has a one year low of $206.71 and a one year high of $277.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $242.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.35. The firm has a market cap of $51.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.30.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Norfolk Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on NSC shares. Loop Capital downgraded Norfolk Southern from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $289.00 to $256.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $292.00 to $272.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Norfolk Southern from $305.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $272.74.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gilbert H. Lamphere bought 607 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $259.86 per share, with a total value of $157,735.02. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $646,271.82. This trade represents a 32.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.