Return on Retained Earnings (RORE) is an indicator of a company's growth potential, it shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings, i.e. profits after dividend payments.
Canadian National Railway Co's 3-Year RORE % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -8.12%.
CNI's 3-Year RORE % is ranked worse than 61.59% of 932
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 4.385
vs CNI: -8.12
Canadian National Railway Co (NYSE:CNI) 3-Year RORE % Explanation
Return on Retained Earnings (RORE) is important to investors because it reveals a company's efficiency and growth potential. A higher RORE indicates a higher return. A high RORE indicates that the company should reinvest profits into the business. A lower RORE suggests that the company should distribute profits to shareholders by paying out dividends, since those dollars aren't generating much additional growth for the company.
There are a several different ways to arrive at the Return on Retained Earnings. The simplest way to calculate it is by using published information on Earnings per Share (EPS) and Dividend per Share (DPS) over a selected period. Here, 3-year period is chosen.
Be Aware
Please keep in mind that the RORE is relative to the nature of the business and its competitors. If another company in the same sector is producing a lower return on retained earnings, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad investment. It may just suggest the company is older and no longer in a high growth stage. At such a stage in the business cycle, it would be expected to see a lower RORE and higher dividend payout.
Canadian National Railway Co 3-Year RORE % Related Terms
Canadian National Railway Co 3-Year RORE % 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 3-Year RORE %, along with its competitors' market caps and 3-Year RORE % 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 3-Year RORE % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Canadian National Railway Co's 3-Year RORE % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Canadian National Railway Co's 3-Year RORE % 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 3-Year RORE %, the most recent and first period EPS (Diluted) is the trailing twelve months (TTM) data ended in Mar. 2026 and 3-year before.
Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) has a 3-Year RORE % of -8.12 as of Mar. 2026. 3-Year RORE % shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings in 3-year. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #574 out of 932 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 61.6%.
Is Canadian National Railway Co's 3-Year RORE % too high?
Canadian National Railway Co's current 3-Year RORE % is -8.12. Based on the distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #574 out of 932 companies in the Transportation industry, which is below 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 3-Year RORE % compare to UNP and CSX?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #574 out of 932 companies for 3-Year RORE %. This places Canadian National Railway Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median 3-Year RORE % is 4.39. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 3-Year RORE % for a Transportation company?
The median 3-Year RORE % among Transportation companies is 4.39, based on 932 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a 3-Year RORE % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, 3-Year RORE % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high 3-Year RORE % mean?
A high 3-Year RORE % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. 3-Year RORE % shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings in 3-year. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median 3-Year RORE % is 4.39 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Canadian National Railway Co's current 3-Year RORE % is -8.12. 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 $114.41, compared to a current price of $124.40 — trading 8.7% above its estimated fair value. The current 3-Year RORE % is -8.12. Canadian National Railway Co's overall GF Score™ is 90/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 3-Year RORE % calculated?
3-Year RORE % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Canadian National Railway Co (CNI), the current 3-Year RORE % is -8.12 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 $124.40 is trading 8.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $114.41.
GuruFocus considers Canadian National Railway Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for CNI:
3-Year RORE %: -8.12
GF Value™: $114.41 vs. price of $124.40 (8.7% above fair value)
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.
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