5 Best Transportation Stocks To Buy For 2015

5 Best Transportation Stocks To Buy For 2015: Norfolk Souther Corporation(NSC)

Norfolk Southern Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods primarily in the United States. The company transports coal products, such as coal, coke, and iron ore; automotive products, including finished vehicles and auto parts; chemicals products consisting of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, and municipal wastes; metals and construction products comprising steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, bricks, and minerals; and paper, clay, and forest products, including lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, scrap paper, and clay. It also transports agriculture, consumer, and government products, such as soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizer, animal and poultry feed, food oils, flour, beverages, canned goods, swee teners, consumer products, ethanol, and items for the military. In addition, it engages in the intermodal operations that include moving of shipments in trailers, the United States and international containers, and roadrailer equipment. Further, the company transports overseas freight through various Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, as well as provides a range of logistics services; and operates passenger and commuter trains. Additionally, it involves in the acquisition, leasing, and management of coal, oil, gas, and minerals; the development of commercial real estate; telecommunications; and the leasing or sale of rail property and equipment. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The company was founded in 1883 and is based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Advisors' Opin! ion:

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Norfolk Southern (NSC), Toll Brothers (TOL) and J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) are just some of the stocks moving during today’s market action: Here's a rundown:

  Toll Brothers rose 3.3% to $33.29 after the home builder posted better-than-expected revenue for the quarter ended Oct. Sales surged 29% to $1.35 billion, lifted by strong demand in the home builder’s West Coast division to top the $1.31 billion expected by analysts. Leucadia National (LUK) has been among the worst performers of the S&P's 85 financial stocks. Today, the shares gained 1.4% to $24.13 after Barron's editor Andrew Bary referred to the company as "A Mini-Berkshire At a Bargain Price." The stock has been hurt by low returns outside Jefferies, the investment bank it bought early y last year. Still, many of its other business arte valuable, including Berkadia, a 50/50 joint venture with Berkshire How about the real Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)? Warren Buffett’s holding company rose 0.75% to $144.68 after it posted Friday a drop in profit tied to an investment loss. Still, results overall beat expectations as the company's railroad arm and other units continued to ride a rebounding U.S. economy. J.C. Penney dropped 5.6% to $7.38 after Barron's writer Jack Hough warned readers that the troubled retailer may have set unrealistic financial goals. At its Oct. 8 analyst day, Penney set a goal of $1.2 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, by 2017, or close to four times this year's estimate. To get there, requires lifting sales at longstanding stores by 5.4% a year, boosting gross margins, and holding spending flat. Norfolk Southern surged 2.6% to $115.89 after Barron's writer Robyn Goldwyn Blumenthal weighed in bullishly on the stock amid merger talks within the railroad industry. Talks have circulated of a deal between Canadian Pacific (CP) and CSX (CSX) but fell apart last week. On Friday, hedge fund manager Bill Acker! man specu!
• [By Teresa Rivas]

  This could eventually cut the number of North American Class Is in half, something that the regulators will take under very serious consideration before giving their blessings on the first merger. If a CP-CSX union occurs, Norfolk Southern (NSC) would be the next target, in our opinion, as Canadian National Railway (CNI), Union Pacific (UNP), and [Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKB)] BNSF could each contemplate forming their own transcontinental railway. CP's reported offer to merge with CSX could boost the latter's stock price on Monday, while CP shares may underperform the group.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Shareholders are happy with the performance that railroad giant Norfolk Southern Corporation  (NYSE: NSC  ) has put in recently, climbing to record highs as the industry emerges from an especially difficult period. But even with things looking brighter for rail transportation, Norfolk Southern has some obstacles to overcome to convince investors that its strong stock performance is justified. Let's look at three of the most significant factors that could send shares of Norfolk Southern falling in the near future.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-transportation-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-3.html