Analysts Set Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR) Target Price at C$155.79

Key Points

• Canadian National Railway has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from nineteen brokerages, with varying recommendations ranging from sell to strong buy.
• Insider transactions indicate confidence in the company, with directors purchasing 9,747 shares worth over C$1.28 million in total during the last ninety days.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.8875 per share, reflecting a yielding rate of 2.8% and a payout ratio of 47.79%.

Shares of Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR - Get Free Report) NYSE: CNI have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nineteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have given a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is C$155.79.

CNR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Scotiabank reduced their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$165.00 to C$153.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. TD Securities cut their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$168.00 to C$165.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Canadian National Railway from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the company from C$154.00 to C$163.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Evercore ISI lowered Canadian National Railway from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Canadian National Railway from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from C$150.00 to C$162.00 in a report on Thursday, July 17th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder acquired 7,600 shares of Canadian National Railway stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of C$131.40 per share, with a total value of C$998,624.04. Also, Director Susan C. Jones bought 1,520 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$130.96 per share, for a total transaction of C$199,065.28. Insiders have bought a total of 9,747 shares of company stock worth $1,285,138 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 2.64% of the company's stock.

Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Canadian National Railway stock traded up C$0.90 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$128.08. 229,469 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,498,080. Canadian National Railway has a 1-year low of C$126.11 and a 1-year high of C$160.88. The firm has a market cap of C$79.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.59. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is C$131.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$137.59.

Canadian National Railway Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 29th will be given a dividend of $0.8875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $3.55 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Canadian National Railway's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.79%.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

Canadian National's railway spans Canada from coast to coast and extends through Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2019, CN delivered almost 6 million carloads over its 19,600 miles of track. CN generated roughly CAD 14 billion in total revenue by hauling intermodal containers (25% of consolidated revenue), petroleum and chemicals (21%), grain and fertilizers (16%), forest products (12%), metals and mining (11%), automotive shipments (6%), and coal (4%).