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Railroad giant Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) was up 10% in just the last week, based in large measure on super 4Q and FY2007 earnings released a week ago, January 22. Fourth quarter operating revenue increased 6% to $2.5 billion, and net income increased 4% to $399 million. What makes these numbers even more impressive is that Norfolk Southern posted revenue increases at the same time it faced significantly higher fuel costs and a measurable reduction in shipments by volume. Coal shipments dropped 2% by volume, while general merchandise shipments dropped a hefty 10% by volume.
The story is the same for FY2007 results. Revenue increased while shipments by volume decreased. And the railroad still made money. The stock closed at $45.07 on January 21, but closed at $52.00 on January 28. Very nice capital appreciation for a week. The company increased its dividend payout by 12% to $0.29 per share, a 32% increase over the last year, and the 102nd consecutive quarter of dividend payout. Clearly, Norfolk Southern is a stock for the very long haul.
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