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Canadian National Railway CoCNI -0.68%90 Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.35 as of Jun. 2026, which is 28% above its 10-year median of 1.83. GuruFocus rates CNI with a GF Score™ of 90/100 and a GF Value™ of $116.06 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 868 Transportation companies, Canadian National Railway Co ranks better than 52.88% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
CNI'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.51 Med: 1.83 Max: 2.48
Current: 2.45
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Canadian National Railway Co was 2.48. The lowest was 1.51. And the median was 1.83.
CNI's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than 52.88% of 868
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.645
vs CNI: 2.45
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Canadian National Railway Co Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Canadian National Railway Co Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Railroads subindustry, Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Canadian National Railway Co Debt-to-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Jun. 2026) EBITDA data.
Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.35 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co. This is 28% above median its historical median of 1.83. Over the past decade, Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.51 to 2.48. According to the industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #409 out of 868 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 47.1%.
Is Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Canadian National Railway Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.35 is 28% above median its 10-year median of 1.83. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.51 to a high of 2.48. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 2.35 is 11.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #409 out of 868 companies in the Transportation industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Canadian National Railway Co has a GF Score™ of 90/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Canadian National Railway Co's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to UNP and CSX?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #409 out of 868 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This puts Canadian National Railway Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 2.35 is 11.2% below this benchmark. Historically, Canadian National Railway Co's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.51 to 2.48 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.83 vs. the industry median of 2.65, Canadian National Railway Co has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Transportation companies is 2.65, based on 868 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Canadian National Railway Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 2.35 is 11.2% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.65 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Canadian National Railway Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.35, which is 28% above median its own 10-year median of 1.83. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Canadian National Railway Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $116.06, compared to a current price of $126.35 — trading 8.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.35, which is 28% above median its 10-year median of 1.83 and 11.2% below the Transportation industry median of 2.65. Canadian National Railway Co's overall GF Score™ is 90/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Canadian National Railway Co (CNI), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.35 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Canadian National Railway Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $126.35 is trading 8.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $116.06.
GuruFocus considers Canadian National Railway Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for CNI:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 2.35 (28% above median its 10-year median of 1.83)
GF Value™: $116.06 vs. price of $126.35 (8.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 11.2% below the Transportation median (#409 of 868)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CNI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Canadian National's railway spans Canada from coast to coast and extends through Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2025, CN generated CAD 17.7 billion in revenue by hauling intermodal containers (22% of consolidated revenue), petroleum and chemicals (21%), grain and fertilizers (23%), forest products (10%), metals and minerals (11%), automotive shipments (5%), and coal (5%). Other items constitute the remaining revenue.
90GF Score
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