Stock of the Day

August 21, 2023

Canadian National Railway (CNI)

$120.90
+$1.05 (+0.9%)
Market Cap: $72.21B

About Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks. It offers trucking services, such as door-to-door services, import and export dray, interline services, and specialized services, comprising flatbed trucks, on-deck mobile transport trays, expedited cargo, and permit/overweight services; and supply chain services. It serves automotive, coal, fertilizers, temperature controlled cargo, forest products, dimensional, grain, metal and minerals, petroleum and chemicals, consumer goods, and third party logistics applications. The company operates a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles of track and shipping spanning. Canadian National Railway Company was incorporated in 1919 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Canadian National Railway Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Canadian National Railway:

  • Canadian National Railway recently set a new quarterly record for grain movement, transporting 7.94 million metric tonnes in the third quarter of 2026, which surpasses the previous record of 7.48 million metric tonnes set in 2020 and indicates strong demand and supply-chain coordination.
  • The company reported third-quarter earnings of $1.50 per share, which exceeded the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.11, while revenue of $3.35 billion also beat analyst expectations of $3.26 billion, demonstrating strong operational performance.
  • Canadian National Railway currently trades at a stock price of $120.90, which is below the average analyst price target of $137.49, suggesting potential upside for investors as the consensus rating remains a Moderate Buy.
  • The company maintains a solid dividend profile with a yield of 2.19% and a payout ratio of 46.10%, providing a steady income stream for investors while retaining sufficient earnings for future growth and operations.
  • Canadian National Railway has a beta of 0.96, which is slightly below the market average of 1.0, indicating that the stock may offer slightly lower volatility compared to the broader market while still providing exposure to the transportation sector.

Canadian National Railway Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Canadian National Railway for these reasons:

  • Several major financial institutions have recently lowered their price targets for Canadian National Railway, including Citigroup reducing its target from $151.00 to $143.00 and Susquehanna cutting its target from $142.00 to $130.00, reflecting a more cautious outlook on the stock's valuation.
  • The company's earnings per share have declined year-over-year, with the most recent quarter showing $1.50 compared to $1.87 in the same period last year, indicating a potential slowdown in profitability despite revenue growth.
  • Canadian National Railway has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, which means the company carries a significant amount of debt relative to its equity, potentially increasing financial risk if interest rates rise or economic conditions worsen.
  • The stock's 50-day moving average is $122.85, which is above the current stock price of $120.90, suggesting that the stock may be experiencing short-term downward pressure or a pullback from recent highs.
  • Canadian National Railway's quick ratio of 0.61 and current ratio of 0.87 indicate that the company may face challenges in meeting its short-term obligations, as it has less than one dollar in current assets for every dollar of current liabilities.