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Canadian National Railway (CNR) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Canadian National Railway logo
C$170.58 +0.71 (+0.42%)
As of 09/4/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

Canadian National Railway - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
8
Buy
12

Based on 20 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 20 analysts, 8 have given a hold rating, 9 have given a buy rating, and 3 have given a strong buy rating for CNR.

Consensus Price Target

C$183.29
7.45% Upside
According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Canadian National Railway, the average price target is C$183.29. The highest price target for CNR is C$205.00, while the lowest price target for CNR is C$120.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 7.45% from the current price of C$170.58.
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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CNR Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/5/25 to 9/5/26
1 Month Ago
8/6/25 to 8/6/26
3 Months Ago
6/7/25 to 6/7/26
1 Year Ago
9/5/24 to 9/5/25
Strong Buy
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
Hold
8 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price TargetC$183.29C$183.29C$158.00C$155.79
Forecasted Upside7.45% Upside3.39% Upside-5.92% Downside16.47% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

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.
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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.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Canadian National Railway Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCanadian National RailwayIndustrials Companies
Consensus Rating Score
2.75
2.30
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHold
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent CNR News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
7/27/2026
Desjardins logo
Desjardins
4 of 5 stars
 Boost TargetBuyC$185.00 ➝ C$199.00+9.29%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetOverweightC$135.00 ➝ C$145.00-20.37%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$198.00 ➝ C$200.00+9.84%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetSector PerformC$173.00 ➝ C$192.00+5.44%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$195.00 ➝ C$205.00+12.58%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetSector PerformC$166.00 ➝ C$185.00+1.60%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetSector OutperformC$194.00 ➝ C$199.00+9.29%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetEqual WeightC$155.00 ➝ C$185.00+1.60%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetBuyC$191.00 ➝ C$205.00+12.58%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetC$175.00 ➝ C$182.00-0.05%
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7/27/2026 Boost TargetC$185.00 ➝ C$198.00+8.74%
7/27/2026 Boost TargetC$180.00 ➝ C$195.00+7.09%
7/16/2026 Boost TargetC$162.00 ➝ C$194.00+8.05%
7/16/2026 Boost TargetC$163.00 ➝ C$196.00+9.17%
7/15/2026 UpgradeHold
7/14/2026 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
7/8/2026 UpgradeHold
6/25/2026 UpgradeHoldStrong-Buy
2/2/2026 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
2/2/2026 Lower TargetBuyC$166.00 ➝ C$164.00+25.82%
1/5/2026 UpgradeHoldStrong-Buy
11/11/2025 Boost TargetC$148.00 ➝ C$152.00+13.48%
11/3/2025 Boost TargetBuyC$119.00 ➝ C$120.00-10.78%
6/27/2025UpgradeHold
2/3/2025DowngradeHoldStrong Sell
10/23/2024UpgradeHoldStrong-Buy

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 06:12 PM 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, September 3, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Canadian National Railway pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Canadian National Railway
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

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

  • Canadian National Railway shares are currently trading at $169.87, a level that sits well above the 200-day moving average of $159.94, indicating strong recent momentum and technical strength that often attracts long-term institutional investors.
  • Analyst sentiment has improved significantly, with the consensus price target rising to $183.29, which suggests approximately 8% upside potential from the current price, supported by recent upgrades from major firms like BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities.
  • The company demonstrated robust financial performance in its most recent quarter, reporting earnings per share of $2.08 and a net margin of 26.92%, reflecting efficient operations and strong profitability in the rail transportation sector.
  • Insider confidence is high, as evidenced by recent purchases by directors such as Justin M Howell and Albert Monaco in early 2026, signaling that company leadership believes the stock is undervalued relative to its long-term potential.
  • Canadian National Railway offers a dividend yield of 2.11%, providing a steady income stream for investors while maintaining a moderate buy rating from sell-side analysts who anticipate continued earnings growth through 2028.

Canadian National Railway
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • The stock carries a beta of 1.19, meaning it is more volatile than the broader market, which can lead to sharper price declines during economic downturns or periods of high interest rates.
  • With a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.81, the stock is trading at a premium valuation compared to many industrial peers, leaving less margin for error if earnings growth slows or falls short of the $8.26 per share consensus estimate.
  • The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 103.26, indicating that it carries more debt than equity, which can increase financial risk and interest expense obligations, particularly if borrowing costs remain elevated.
  • Despite recent gains, the stock is still trading below its 52-week high of $185.25, suggesting that some investors may be taking profits or that the stock has not yet fully recovered from previous volatility.
  • The current ratio of 0.87 indicates that the company's current liabilities exceed its current assets, which could pose liquidity challenges if cash flow from operations is disrupted by seasonal demand fluctuations or supply chain issues.

CNR Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 20 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Canadian National Railway is C$183.29, with a high forecast of C$205.00 and a low forecast of C$120.00.

20 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Canadian National Railway in the last twelve months. There are currently 8 hold ratings, 9 buy ratings and 3 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 7.45% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Canadian National Railway's stock had 3 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Canadian National Railway more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating for Canadian National Railway is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "industrials" companies is Hold. Learn more on how CNR compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Canadian National Railway analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 7/27/2026.
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