WinstonWınston
Back
Canadian National Railway Company logo

Canadian National Railway Company

CNI
60
Railroads · Industrials
Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
Winston Score
60
Winston is curious
A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Strong
Growth
Good
Cash Flow
Exceptional
Stability
Good
Valuation
Good
Dividends
Good

Winston Score History

The full picture

Canadian National Railway (CN) runs one of the largest railroad networks in North America. It moves freight — things like grain, oil, cars, lumber, and consumer goods — across Canada and into the United States. CN is the only railroad in North America that connects three coasts: the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico.

CN makes money by charging companies to ship goods along its roughly 20,000-mile rail network. Most revenue comes from freight contracts with industries like agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. Its coast-to-coast network is hard to replicate, giving it a strong competitive position against trucks and rival railroads. The main growth driver is increasing trade volumes between Canada and the U.S., but the biggest risk is economic slowdown — when businesses produce and ship less, CN earns less. Fuel costs and labor negotiations are also ongoing pressure points for the business.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+11.3% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady revenue growth

EPS Growth

+10.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady EPS growth

Insider Activity

0.2%ownership

Declining

Insider ownership declining — could be dilution or selling

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$294M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth + cash flow

Canadian National Railway Company is a rare growth stock that's already generating positive cash flow while growing at 11%. The Winston Score doesn't fully credit this transition from "burner" to "earner."

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
43.7%
Healthy — 43.7% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
37.5%
Excellent — 37.5% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
15.1%
Strong — 15.1% return on capital

ROIC between 15% and 25%. Every dollar invested in the business earns 15 to 25 cents back per year.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+3.7%
Slow sales growth (+3.7% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+7.4%
Modest earnings growth (+7.4% YoY)

Single-digit earnings growth — steady but not exciting.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
7/8 quarters
Every recent quarter grew earnings vs last year

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
147%
Turns 147% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
20.0%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (20.0%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
1.02
Elevated debt (1.02)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
7.65x
Adequate interest coverage (7.6x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
22.9x
no trend
Growth-priced — P/E 22.9

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+5.1
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (22.9 → 17.9)

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.02%
no trend
Moderate income — 2.02% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+4.7%
no trend
Dividend growing modestly (4.7% YoY)

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free
🔒 See full fundamentals and if they are improving or declining — click here for your free trial now.
Start free trial