ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Canadian National Railway Co's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $3,341 Mil.
Canadian National Railway Co's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $42,893 Mil. Therefore, Canadian National Railway Co's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 7.79%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
CNI'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 8 Med: 10.12 Max: 14.69
Current: 8.12
During the past 13 years, Canadian National Railway Co's highest ROA % was 14.69%. The lowest was 8.00%. And the median was 10.12%.
CNI's ROA % is ranked better than 81.28% of 1015
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 3.46
vs CNI: 8.12
Canadian National Railway Co (NYSE:CNI) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
Canadian National Railway Co ROA % Related Terms
Canadian National Railway Co ROA % 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 ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % 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 ROA % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % 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 ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) has a ROA % of 7.79% as of Mar. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. This is 23% below median its historical median of 10.12. Over the past decade, Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % has ranged from 8.00 to 14.69. According to the industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #190 out of 1015 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 18.7%.
Is Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % too high?
Canadian National Railway Co's current ROA % of 7.79% is 23% below median its 10-year median of 10.12. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 8.00 to a high of 14.69. The Transportation industry median ROA % is 3.46. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 7.79% is 125.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #190 out of 1015 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Canadian National Railway Co has a GF Score™ of 91/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Canadian National Railway Co's ROA % compare to UNP and CSX?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #190 out of 1015 companies for ROA %. This places Canadian National Railway Co in the top 19% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROA % is 3.46. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 7.79% is 125.1% above this benchmark. Historically, Canadian National Railway Co's own ROA % has ranged from 8.00 to 14.69 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 10.12 vs. the industry median of 3.46, Canadian National Railway Co has consistently been above 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 ROA % for a Transportation company?
The median ROA % among Transportation companies is 3.46, based on 1,015 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Canadian National Railway Co's current ROA % of 7.79% is 125.1% above 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 ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median ROA % is 3.46 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Canadian National Railway Co's current ROA % is 7.79%, which is 23% below median its own 10-year median of 10.12. 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 $114.56, compared to a current price of $115.91 — trading 1.2% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is 7.79%, which is 23% below median its 10-year median of 10.12 and 125.1% above the Transportation industry median of 3.46. Canadian National Railway Co's overall GF Score™ is 91/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Canadian National Railway Co (CNI), the current ROA % is 7.79% as of Mar. 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 $115.91 is trading 1.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $114.56.
GuruFocus considers Canadian National Railway Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for CNI:
ROA %: 7.79% (23% below median its 10-year median of 10.12)
GF Value™: $114.56 vs. price of $115.91 (1.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 125.1% above the Transportation median (#190 of 1015)
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.
91GF Score
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