Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.11 EPS

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) issued its earnings results on Friday. The transportation company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.11, Zacks reports. Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 27.22% and a return on equity of 21.90%. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Canadian National Railway’s conference call:

• CN posted another strong quarter, with adjusted diluted EPS up 12% FX-adjusted on 5% volume growth, and raised full-year guidance to mid- to high-single-digit EPS growth on low-single-digit RTM growth.
• The railroad highlighted broad operational improvement, including record first-half fuel efficiency, better labor and locomotive productivity, and roughly CAD 100 million of realized Fast Track savings year to date.
• Commercial performance remained strong, with revenue up 11% and standout momentum in grain, potash, petroleum and chemicals, domestic intermodal, and energy-related traffic, helped by solid service and pricing discipline.
• CN announced strategic agreements with Union Pacific that expand its reach into Mexico and, if approved, Kansas City, which management said should create new growth opportunities and improve network density without opposing the merger.
• Management said wildfire impacts have been limited so far and that the main line in Northern Ontario remains open, while also noting fuel and FX remain key variables for the second half of the year.

Canadian National Railway Trading Down 0.8%

CNI traded down $1.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $129.53. The stock had a trading volume of 2,686,320 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,390,956. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.67. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $120.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $110.64. Canadian National Railway has a 52 week low of $90.74 and a 52 week high of $131.55.

Canadian National Railway Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.915 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $3.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Canadian National Railway’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Canadian National Railway

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CNI. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 378.4% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 354 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in Canadian National Railway in the third quarter valued at about $51,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Canadian National Railway by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 635 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 52.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,118 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 10.9% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,377 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $130,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.74% of the company’s stock.

More Canadian National Railway News

Here are the key news stories impacting Canadian National Railway this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CNI posted second-quarter earnings of $2.08 per share, well above the $1.39 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year, signaling stronger operational performance. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 guidance and increased its volume outlook, which suggests management expects demand trends and network utilization to remain supportive. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: CN also announced a quarterly dividend of C$0.915 per share, reinforcing its capital-return profile for income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: CN and Union Pacific announced an agreement to improve North American rail connectivity, which could create new cross-border service opportunities and expand customer access. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on CNI shares. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $138.00) on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup increased their price target on Canadian National Railway from $124.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. National Bank Financial set a $124.00 target price on Canadian National Railway in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce raised their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$182.00 to C$185.00 and gave the company an “outperformer” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Canadian National Railway from $99.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Canadian National Railway currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.12.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE: CNI) is a Class I freight railway that operates an integrated rail network across Canada and the United States. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, CN provides long-haul freight transportation and related logistics services that connect major ports, industrial centers and inland markets throughout North America. Its transcontinental system enables cross-border movement of goods and supports supply chains that span coast-to-coast in Canada and into the central and eastern United States.

CN’s core business is the railborne transportation of a broad mix of commodities, including intermodal container traffic, forest and paper products, grain and other agricultural products, metallurgical and industrial products, petroleum and chemical products, coal and automotive shipments.