Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR) Reaches New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• 52-week high: Canadian National Railway's stock reached a new 52-week high of C$154.87 (last C$154.62) on Thursday, with about 398,618 shares traded.
• Analyst sentiment: Multiple firms have raised price targets recently and the stock carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of C$156.69.
• Fundamentals and insider buying: CN reported solid profitability (quarterly EPS C$2.08, ROE 21.95%, net margin 27.28%) with a market cap of C$95.09B and P/E 20.55, and several directors recently purchased shares, bringing insider ownership to 2.64%.

Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR - Get Free Report) NYSE: CNI's stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$154.87 and last traded at C$154.62, with a volume of 398618 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$149.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CNR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. National Bank Financial boosted their price target on Canadian National Railway from C$147.00 to C$164.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD boosted their price target on Canadian National Railway from C$164.00 to C$171.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Canadian National Railway from C$147.00 to C$153.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$158.00 to C$169.00 in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Vertical Research upgraded Canadian National Railway from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of C$156.69.

Canadian National Railway Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 101.25, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.67. The business has a 50-day moving average price of C$146.69 and a 200 day moving average price of C$139.06. The stock has a market capitalization of C$95.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.55, a PEG ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.08.

Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR - Get Free Report) NYSE: CNI last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported C$2.08 EPS for the quarter. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 21.95% and a net margin of 27.28%.The firm had revenue of C$4.46 billion for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Canadian National Railway will post 8.2610275 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder purchased 620 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$141.07 per share, with a total value of C$87,463.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 19,071 shares in the company, valued at C$2,690,345.97. This trade represents a 3.36% increase in their position. Also, Director Albert Monaco purchased 7,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$135.68 per share, for a total transaction of C$1,004,032.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$1,004,032. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. Insiders own 2.64% of the company's stock.

About Canadian National Railway

CN powers the economy by safely transporting more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year for its customers. With its nearly 20,000-mile rail network and related transportation services, CN connects Canada's Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast, contributing to sustainable trade and the prosperity of the communities in which it operates since 1919.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.