Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE: CNQ) is one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world, with a diversified portfolio spanning oil sands, conventional oil and natural gas liquids. The company’s operations are focused on cost-efficient development and maximizing recovery from long-life, low-decline assets. Canadian Natural employs integrated midstream infrastructure to support its production and ensure reliable delivery to domestic and international markets.

Core upstream activities include thermal in situ and mining-based oil sands production in Alberta, conventional heavy oil and light oil development in Western Canada, and natural gas and natural gas liquids operations. Beyond Canada, the company holds significant interests in the North Sea and offshore West Africa, where it pursues both exploration and development opportunities. By balancing investment across multiple resource types and regions, Canadian Natural seeks to maintain stable production levels and generate consistent cash flow.

Since its founding in 1989, Canadian Natural has grown through disciplined capital allocation and strategic acquisitions, including landmark transactions such as the 2009 acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum’s Canadian operations and the 2019 purchase of Devon Canada’s assets. These expansions strengthened the company’s position in key assets like the Horizon oil sands project and enhanced its heavy oil and conventional portfolios. Over time, Canadian Natural’s commitment to operational excellence has driven steady production growth and cost reduction.

Leadership at Canadian Natural comprises a seasoned management team led by President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Laut, supported by a board of directors with deep industry expertise. The company emphasizes environmental stewardship, safety, and community engagement, integrating sustainability initiatives into its operations. With a focus on innovation, operational discipline and responsible resource development, Canadian Natural Resources aims to deliver long-term value for shareholders and stakeholders alike.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $30.58 to $31.39
• 50-Day Range: $30.39 to $34.00
• 52-Week Range: $24.65 to $37.91
• Volume: 4.94 million shs
• Average Volume: 5.76 million shs
• Market Capitalization: $64.45 billion
• P/E Ratio: 12.08
• Dividend Yield: 5.55%
• Price Target: $63.00
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Canadian Natural Resources scored higher than 96% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 25th out of 266 stocks in the energy sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy

Consensus Rating

Canadian Natural Resources has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.67, and is based on 4 buy ratings, 2 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Canadian Natural Resources has only been the subject of 2 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 1.22%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Canadian Natural Resources are expected to grow by 1.22% in the coming year, from $2.45 to $2.48 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Canadian Natural Resources is 12.08, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 26.51.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Canadian Natural Resources is 12.08, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Energy sector average P/E ratio of about 66.89.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Canadian Natural Resources has a P/B Ratio of 2.25. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 3.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

3.38% of the float of Canadian Natural Resources has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Canadian Natural Resources has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 10.8, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Canadian Natural Resources has recently decreased by 65.24%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 5.0 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Leadership

Canadian Natural Resources is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 5.51%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.

Dividend Growth

Canadian Natural Resources has been increasing its dividend for 24 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Canadian Natural Resources is 67.06%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Canadian Natural Resources will have a dividend payout ratio of 68.95% next year. This indicates that Canadian Natural Resources will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 0.7 / 5
• Environmental Score: -7.75

Percentage of Shares Shorted

3.38% of the float of Canadian Natural Resources has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Canadian Natural Resources has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 10.8, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Canadian Natural Resources has recently decreased by 65.24%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 3.7 / 5
• News Sentiment: 1.59

News Sentiment

Canadian Natural Resources has a news sentiment score of 1.59. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.79 average news sentiment score of Energy companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 14 news articles for Canadian Natural Resources this week, compared to 11 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

Only 31 people have searched for CNQ on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -9% compared to the previous 30 days.

MarketBeat Follows

11 people have added Canadian Natural Resources to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 22% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Canadian Natural Resources insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 5.00% of the stock of Canadian Natural Resources is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

74.03% of the stock of Canadian Natural Resources is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

CNQ Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have CNQ shares performed this year?

Canadian Natural Resources' stock was trading at $30.87 at the beginning of the year. Since then, CNQ shares have decreased by 0.2% and is now trading at $30.81.

How were Canadian Natural Resources' earnings last quarter?

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May, 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.08. The oil and gas producer earned $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.14 billion. Canadian Natural Resources had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 20.90% and a net margin of 16.92%.
Read the conference call transcript.

When did Canadian Natural Resources' stock split?

Shares of Canadian Natural Resources split on the morning of Tuesday, June 11th 2024.The 2-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 11th 2024. The newly issued shares were issued to shareholders after the closing bell on Tuesday, June 11th 2024. An investor that had 100 shares of stock prior to the split would have 200 shares after the split.

Who are Canadian Natural Resources' major shareholders?

Top institutional shareholders of Canadian Natural Resources include Canoe Financial LP (0.29%), Addenda Capital Inc. (0.11%), Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY (0.07%) and U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC (0.03%).

How do I buy shares of Canadian Natural Resources?

Shares of CNQ stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Canadian Natural Resources own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Canadian Natural Resources investors own include BlackRock (BLK), Broadcom (AVGO), ServiceNow (NOW), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), The Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Illinois Tool Works (ITW) and NVIDIA (NVDA).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 5/08/2025
• Record date for 7/3 Dividend: 6/13/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 7/3 Dividend: 6/13/2025
• Dividend Payable: 7/03/2025
• Today: 7/18/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/30/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Energy
• Industry: OIL - C$ EXP&PROD
• Sub-Industry: Petroleum And Natural Gas
• Current Symbol: NYSE:CNQ
• CIK: 1017413
• Web: www.cnrl.com
• Phone: (403) 514-7777
• Fax: 403-517-7350
• Employees: 10,640
• Year Founded: 1989

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Canadian Natural Resources: $63.00
• High Price Target: $63.00
• Low Price Target: $63.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +105.0%
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.67
• Research Coverage: 6 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $2.55
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 12.01
• Forward P/E Ratio: 12.54
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $4.46 billion
• Net Margins: 16.92%
• Pretax Margin: 21.75%
• Return on Equity: 20.90%
• Return on Assets: 10.37%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.40
• Current Ratio: 0.84
• Quick Ratio: 0.53

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $30.30 billion
• Price / Sales: 2.12
• Cash Flow: $4.86 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 6.32
• Book Value: $13.69 per share
• Price / Book: 2.24

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 2,091,760,000
• Free Float: 1,987,173,000
• Market Cap: $64.28 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 1.03