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Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Canadian Natural Resources logo
$51.85 +1.78 (+3.56%)
As of 09/1/2026 03:58 PM Eastern

Canadian Natural Resources - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
5
Buy
7

Based on 12 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Canadian Natural Resources in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 12 analysts, 5 have given a hold rating, and 7 have given a buy rating for CNQ.

Consensus Price Target

$57.00
9.93% Upside
According to the 12 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Canadian Natural Resources, the average price target is $57.00. The highest price target for CNQ is $65.00, while the lowest price target for CNQ is $49.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 9.93% from the current price of $51.85.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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CNQ Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/2/25 to 9/2/26
1 Month Ago
8/3/25 to 8/3/26
3 Months Ago
6/4/25 to 6/4/26
1 Year Ago
9/2/24 to 9/2/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
7 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
Hold
5 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$57.00$57.00$57.00$62.00
Forecasted Upside9.93% Upside22.76% Upside19.71% Upside93.96% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

CNQ Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

CNQ Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Canadian Natural Resources Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCanadian Natural ResourcesEnergy CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.58
2.42
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside9.89% Upside31.75% Upside14.90% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNQ News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
8/27/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
8/21/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 UpgradeBuy (B-)Buy (B)
8/19/2026
Zacks Research logo
Zacks Research
5 of 5 stars
 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
8/7/2026 Reiterated RatingSector Perform
8/7/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
7/16/2026 UpgradeHold
5/7/2026 UpgradeMarket PerformOutperform
3/12/2026Boost TargetBuy$37.00 ➝ $49.00+0.96%
3/6/2026Boost TargetOutperform$61.00 ➝ $65.00+42.70%
3/5/2026 DowngradeStrong-BuyModerate Buy
1/6/2026 DowngradeOutperformIn-Line
10/16/2025 UpgradeHold
7/17/2025 Reiterated RatingSector Perform
2/10/2025DowngradeStrong-BuyHold

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Wednesday at 01:21 AM ET.


Should I Buy Canadian Natural Resources Stock? CNQ Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Canadian Natural Resources pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Canadian Natural Resources
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Canadian Natural Resources Limited:

  • Canadian Natural Resources Limited recently reported a significant earnings beat for the quarter ending August 6, 2026, delivering an actual EPS of $1.58 compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43, while also surpassing revenue expectations with $14.74 billion in actual revenue against a consensus of $9.40 billion, demonstrating strong operational performance and profitability that supports the current stock price of $51.85.
  • The stock is trading near its 52-week high of $52.02, having risen from a low of $29.68, which indicates strong momentum and investor confidence in the company's trajectory, supported by a low beta of 0.46 that suggests the stock may offer lower volatility compared to the broader market while still providing exposure to the energy sector.
  • Institutional investors are increasing their stakes in the company, with Mufg Securities Canada LTD. raising its position by 105.7% in the second quarter to own 6,350,644 shares, and other firms like Capital Research Global Investors and AQR Capital Management also boosting their holdings, signaling strong professional conviction in the company's long-term value.
  • Canadian Natural Resources Limited offers a dividend yield of 3.70%, providing a steady income stream for investors, which is particularly attractive given the company's stable cash flows from its diversified portfolio of light and medium crude oil, heavy crude oil, and natural gas liquids.
  • The company maintains a favorable valuation with a P/E ratio of 12.80, which is relatively low for a major energy producer, suggesting that the stock may be undervalued relative to its earnings potential, especially as it continues to expand its production capabilities in Western Canada and offshore regions.

Canadian Natural Resources
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Canadian Natural Resources Limited for these reasons:

  • Short interest in Canadian Natural Resources Limited has been volatile and recently increased, with shares shorted rising to 57,647,400 as of August 14, 2026, representing a 18.87% month-over-month increase, which indicates that a significant portion of the market is betting against the stock's future performance, potentially leading to downward pressure on the price.
  • Despite recent earnings beats, the company's revenue growth has been inconsistent, with actual revenue of $7.72 billion in May 2026 falling short of the consensus estimate of $7.57 billion in the previous quarter, suggesting that the company may face challenges in sustaining its revenue growth trajectory amid fluctuating commodity prices.
  • The stock has experienced significant price volatility, including a gap down of 1.67% on July 27, 2026, and a percent decline of 42.68% on April 17, 2026, which highlights the risks associated with investing in the energy sector, where prices can be highly sensitive to global economic conditions and geopolitical events.
  • Canadian Natural Resources Limited operates in a capital-intensive industry with high environmental and regulatory risks, as it produces heavy crude oil and bitumen, which are subject to stricter environmental regulations and potential carbon taxes, potentially impacting its profitability and long-term sustainability.
  • The company's dependence on commodity prices, particularly for heavy crude oil, exposes it to significant market risk, as any decline in oil prices could lead to a sharp drop in its revenue and earnings, making it a less attractive investment for risk-averse investors seeking stable returns.

CNQ Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 12 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Canadian Natural Resources is $57.00, with a high forecast of $65.00 and a low forecast of $49.00.

12 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Canadian Natural Resources in the last year. There are currently 5 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CNQ shares.

According to analysts, Canadian Natural Resources's stock has a predicted upside of 9.93% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Canadian Natural Resources's stock had 4 upgrades and 2 downgrades by analysts.

Canadian Natural Resources has been rated by research analysts at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Desjardins, Scotiabank, TD Securities, Weiss Ratings, and Zacks Research in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Canadian Natural Resources more than other "energy" companies. The consensus rating for Canadian Natural Resources is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "energy" companies is Hold. Learn more on how CNQ compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Canadian Natural Resources analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 8/27/2026.
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