CNI Analyst Ratings
Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) operates in the Industrials sector, specifically the Railroads industry, with a market capitalization near $71.93B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 23,839 people, carrying a beta of 0.97 to the broader market. Canadian National Railway Company (CNI), together with its subsidiary operations, functions as a key player in the railway and related logistics industry. Led by Tracy A. Robinson, public since 1996-11-26.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 30 analysts rated CNI: 5 Strong Buy, 10 Buy, 14 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 31 analysts, 5 Strong Buy, 9 Buy, 16 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $131.75
- Median Target
- $130.00
- High
- $143.00
- Low
- $124.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 12
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 12 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Susquehanna | Harrison Bauer | $130.00 | $118.67 |
| Sep 23, 2026 | National Bank | Ken Hoexter | $143.00 | $119.52 |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Barclays | Brandon Oglenski | $130.00 | $129.48 |
| Jun 25, 2026 | Barclays | Not named | $109.00 | $115.91 |
| Jun 25, 2026 | Evercore ISI | Jonathan Chappell | $124.00 | $115.91 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Oct 2, 2026 | Susquehanna | maintain | Neutral | Neutral |
| Sep 23, 2026 | B of A Securities | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Aug 31, 2026 | Argus Research | maintain | Hold | Hold |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Barclays | maintain | Equal Weight | Equal Weight |
Quantitative Rating
CNI carries a model grade of B (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read CNI Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked CNI analyst ratings questions
- What is the CNI consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $131.75. Target ranges run from a low of $124.00 to a high of $143.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on CNI?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 30 analysts rated CNI, and the distribution is mixed across rating levels: 5 Strong Buy, 10 Buy, 14 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has CNI seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on CNI appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect CNI options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.