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Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Canadian Natural Resources logo
C$76.10 0.00 (0.00%)
As of 10/16/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

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

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
6
Buy
6

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, 6 have given a hold rating, and 6 have given a buy rating for CNQ.

Consensus Price Target

C$68.75
-9.66% Downside
According to the 12 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Canadian Natural Resources, the average price target is C$68.75. The highest price target for CNQ is C$90.00, while the lowest price target for CNQ is C$50.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -9.66% from the current price of C$76.10.
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
10/19/25 to 10/19/26
1 Month Ago
9/19/25 to 9/19/26
3 Months Ago
7/21/25 to 7/21/26
1 Year Ago
10/19/24 to 10/19/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
6 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
Hold
6 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price TargetC$68.75C$67.12C$64.88C$54.73
Forecasted Upside-9.66% Downside-3.25% Downside2.47% Upside29.72% 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 Companies
Consensus Rating Score
2.50
2.45
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHold
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CNQ News
Positive News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/14/2026 DowngradeModerate Buy ➝ HoldC$70.00 ➝ C$69.00-6.54%
10/13/2026 Boost TargetC$79.00 ➝ C$86.00+16.77%
8/27/2026 Boost TargetC$70.00 ➝ C$75.00+8.32%
8/12/2026 Boost TargetC$67.00 ➝ C$75.00+12.44%
8/7/2026 Boost TargetBuyC$72.00 ➝ C$73.00+14.85%
8/7/2026 Boost TargetSector PerformC$71.00 ➝ C$73.00+14.85%
7/17/2026 Set TargetHoldC$70.00+14.40%
6/29/2026 UpgradeNeutral ➝ BuyC$67.00 ➝ C$69.00+22.71%
6/26/2026 UpgradeHold
3/31/2026 Boost TargetSector PerformC$59.00 ➝ C$90.00+34.27%
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3/16/2026 Boost TargetC$48.00 ➝ C$59.00-11.70%
3/6/2026 Boost TargetBuyC$51.00 ➝ C$64.00+0.85%
3/6/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$50.00 ➝ C$70.00+10.31%
3/6/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$56.00 ➝ C$65.00+2.43%
1/23/2026 Lower TargetC$51.00 ➝ C$50.00+1.28%
1/6/2026 DowngradeOutperform ➝ HoldC$50.00+15.34%
10/17/2025 Set TargetEqual WeightC$47.00+11.40%
2/10/2025DowngradeStrong-Buy ➝ Hold

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Monday at 07:42 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 Friday, October 16, 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 shares are currently trading at $76.10, a level that reflects a significant rally driven by a sharp rise in crude oil prices, with Brent crude exceeding $109 per barrel and WTI back above $100, which directly boosts the company's cash flow expectations and shareholder returns.
  • The company demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent quarterly update, reporting earnings per share of C$2.19 and revenue of C$14.74 billion, alongside a net margin of 24.93% and a return on equity of 26.67%, indicating robust operational efficiency and profitability.
  • Investors can benefit from a dividend yield of 3.39%, which is supported by the company's disciplined capital allocation strategy and its ability to maintain steady cash returns to shareholders through market swings due to its scale and low operating costs.
  • Recent analyst sentiment has turned positive, with Royal Bank of Canada raising its price target to C$86.00 and Zacks upgrading the stock to a Strong Buy, suggesting that the market is beginning to recognize the company's strong operating momentum and supportive fundamentals.
  • The stock has shown strong technical momentum, reaching a 52-week high of $76.25 and crossing above its 200-day moving average, which often signals a sustained uptrend and increased investor confidence in the company's long-term growth potential.

Canadian Natural Resources
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • Raymond James Financial recently downgraded the stock from a moderate buy to a hold and cut its price target to C$69.00, which represents a 9.3% downside from the current price of C$76.10, indicating that some analysts believe the stock is overvalued relative to its fundamentals.
  • The company carries a debt-to-equity ratio of 36.64, which is a measure of financial leverage that indicates the company has a significant amount of debt relative to its equity, potentially increasing financial risk if oil prices decline or interest rates rise.
  • Despite recent gains, the consensus price target from analysts is C$67.11, which is below the current stock price of $76.10, suggesting that the broader analyst community may see limited upside potential or that the stock has already priced in much of the good news.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with several insiders, including directors and executives, selling significant numbers of shares in early 2026, which can sometimes signal a lack of confidence in the stock's future performance or a desire to lock in gains.
  • The company's earnings remain closely tied to volatile oil and gas prices, and while current prices are high, any future decline in crude oil prices could significantly impact the company's profitability and its ability to sustain its dividend and capital allocation plans.

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 C$68.75, with a high forecast of C$90.00 and a low forecast of C$50.00.

12 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Canadian Natural Resources in the last year. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 6 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 downside of -9.66% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Canadian Natural Resources's stock had 1 downgrade by analysts.

Canadian Natural Resources has been rated by research analysts at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Raymond James Financial, Royal Bank Of Canada, Scotia, and TD 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 10/14/2026.
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