Canadian National Railway (CNR) Stock Forecast & Price Target

C$147.29 +0.16 (+0.11%)

As of 05/22/2025 04:00 PM Eastern

Canadian National Railway - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

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.

Consensus Rating

Moderate Buy

Based on 21 Analyst Ratings

Sell
1

Hold
6

Buy
14

Based on 21 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Canadian National Railway in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 21 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 6 have given a hold rating, 9 have given a buy rating, and 5 have given a strong buy rating for CNR.

Consensus Price Target

C$159.43
8.24% Upside

According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Canadian National Railway, the average price target is C$159.43. The highest price target for CNR is C$174.00, while the lowest price target for CNR is C$126.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 8.24% from the current price of C$147.29.

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CNR Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 5/23/24 to 5/23/25	1 Month Ago 4/23/24 to 4/23/25	3 Months Ago 2/23/24 to 2/22/25	1 Year Ago 5/24/23 to 5/23/24
Strong Buy	5 Strong Buy rating(s)	4 Strong Buy rating(s)	4 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	9 Buy rating(s)	8 Buy rating(s)	9 Buy rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)
Hold	6 Hold rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	C$159.43	C$164.50	C$170.64	C$184.50
Forecasted Upside	8.24% Upside	21.21% Upside	15.35% Upside	6.35% Upside
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Hold

CNR 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.

CNR 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.

Canadian National Railway Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Canadian National Railway	Industrials Companies
Consensus Rating Score	2.86	2.66
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy
News Sentiment Rating	Neutral News See Recent CNR News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
5/22/2025	CIBC 3 of 5 stars		Boost Target		C$146.00 ➝ C$155.00	+5.31%
5/6/2025	Susquehanna 2 of 5 stars	B. Majors Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Strong-Buy
5/2/2025	Royal Bank of Canada 3 of 5 stars		Lower Target	Outperform	C$165.00 ➝ C$163.00	+16.65%
5/2/2025	Desjardins Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Buy	C$169.00 ➝ C$160.00	+14.51%
5/2/2025	BMO Capital Markets Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Outperform	C$175.00 ➝ C$168.00	+20.23%
5/2/2025	Scotiabank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Outperform	C$166.00 ➝ C$160.00	+14.51%
5/2/2025	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Equal Weight	C$150.00 ➝ C$145.00	+3.77%
5/2/2025	ATB Capital Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Sector Perform	C$159.00 ➝ C$156.00	+11.64%
5/2/2025	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Overweight	C$170.00 ➝ C$162.00	+15.94%
5/2/2025	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy	C$172.00 ➝ C$174.00	+24.53%
Get the Latest News and Ratings for CNR and Related Stocks Enter your email address below to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.
4/22/2025	Raymond James Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	S. Hansen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Outperform ➝ Market Perform	C$180.00 ➝ C$150.00	+11.09%
4/3/2025	National Bankshares Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Outperform	C$176.00 ➝ C$170.00	+21.07%
2/3/2025	Loop Capital Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	R. Paterson Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Hold ➝ Strong Sell
1/13/2025	TD Securities Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	C. Radbourne Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Buy	C$175.00 ➝ C$170.00	+17.71%
12/19/2024	Evercore ISI Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	J. Chappell Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Strong-Buy
11/12/2024	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	A. Rosa Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Strong-Buy
10/23/2024	Veritas Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	D. Fong Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Strong-Buy
10/9/2024	Sanford C. Bernstein Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	D. Vernon Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target		C$179.00 ➝ C$173.00	+11.22%
10/7/2024	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	C. Wetherbee Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Equal Weight ➝ Overweight
7/24/2024	Stephens Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	D. Imbro Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold
6/26/2024	National Bank Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	C. Doerksen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Strong-Buy
1/24/2024	Veritas Investment Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy ➝ Reduce	C$168.00	+0.41%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 06:36 AM ET.

Should I Buy Canadian National Railway Stock? CNR 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 Thursday, May 22, 2025. Please send any questions or comments about these Canadian National Railway pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Canadian National Railway
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Canadian National Railway:

The average target price set by brokerages for Canadian National Railway is C$164.50, indicating potential upside from the current stock price of approximately C$135.16.
Canadian National Railway has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, suggesting a generally positive outlook for the stock.
Insider buying activity has been noted, with directors purchasing shares at prices around C$141.56 and C$147.99, which can signal confidence in the company's future performance.
The company has a strong market capitalization of C$84.68 billion, reflecting its significant presence and stability in the railway industry.
Canadian National Railway operates a vast network across Canada and into the U.S., providing diverse revenue streams from various sectors, including intermodal containers and petroleum.

Canadian National Railway
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Canadian National Railway for these reasons:

The stock has experienced fluctuations, with a 52-week low of C$130.02, indicating potential volatility that could concern risk-averse investors.
Recent downgrades from analysts, such as Raymond James reducing their price target from C$180.00 to C$150.00, may reflect changing market sentiments.
The company has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio of 107.59, which suggests that it may be relying heavily on debt to finance its operations, potentially increasing financial risk.
Some analysts have issued sell ratings, indicating that there are concerns about the stock's performance in the near term.
The current economic environment may pose challenges for the transportation sector, affecting overall demand for Canadian National Railway's services.

CNR Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

: According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Canadian National Railway is C$159.43, with a high forecast of C$174.00 and a low forecast of C$126.00.
: 21 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Canadian National Railway in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 6 hold ratings, 9 buy ratings and 5 strong buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CNR shares.
: According to analysts, Canadian National Railway's stock has a predicted upside of 8.24% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.
: Over the previous 90 days, Canadian National Railway's stock had 1 upgrade and 1 downgrade by analysts.
: Canadian National Railway has been rated by research analysts at ATB Capital, Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, CIBC, Desjardins, JPMorgan Chase & Co., National Bankshares, Raymond James, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, Susquehanna, and UBS Group in the past 90 days.
: Analysts like Canadian National Railway more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating score for Canadian National Railway is 2.86 while the average consensus rating score for "industrials" companies is 2.65. Learn more on how CNR compares to other companies.

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This page (TSE:CNR) was last updated on 5/23/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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Canadian National Railway (CNR) Stock Forecast & Price Target