Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC): Today's Featured Transportation Winner

Nov 23, 2012 5:00 PM EST

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Norfolk Southern Corporation ( NSC) pushed the Transportation industry higher today making it today's featured transportation winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1.4%. By the end of trading, Norfolk Southern Corporation rose 73 cents (1.3%) to $57.76 on light volume. Throughout the day, 920,023 shares of Norfolk Southern Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 3.1 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $57.08-$57.79 after having opened the day at $57.20 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $57.03. Other companies within the Transportation industry that increased today were: TOP Ships ( TOPS), up 14.7%, Seanergy Maritime Holdings ( SHIP), up 13%, Danaos Corporation ( DAC), up 11.5%, and Knightsbridge Tankers ( VLCCF), up 8.6%.

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Norfolk Southern Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods primarily in the United States. Norfolk Southern Corporation has a market cap of $18.02 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.4, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 21.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are nine analysts that rate Norfolk Southern Corporation a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 16 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Norfolk Southern Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its attractive valuation levels, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

You can view the full Norfolk Southern Ratings Report.

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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the transportation industry could consider iShares Dow Jones Transportation ( IYT) while those bearish on the transportation industry could consider ProShares UltraShort Industrials ( SIJ).