Canadian National Railway CoCNI +1.44%90 Shareholder Yield % is 4.37% as of Mar. 2026, which is 33% above its 10-year median of 3.28. GuruFocus rates CNI with a GF Score™ of 90/100 and a GF Value™ of $113.87 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 983 Transportation companies, Canadian National Railway Co ranks better than 67.55% on this metric.
Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. It is a measure of shareholder return.
As of today, Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield % was 4.37%.
Canadian National Railway Co (NYSE:CNI) Shareholder Yield % Explanation
Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. The term was coined by William W. Priest of Epoch Investment Partners in a paper in 2005 entitled The Case for Shareholder Yield as a Dominant Driver of Future Equity Returns. William Priest indicated that "shareholder yield is a term that we came up with to reflect the various ways dividends can be paid to owners of a business in a publicly-traded company."
Dividend Yield % shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price, which is most obvious form of shareholder return.
Buyback Yield % is the net repurchase of shares outstanding over the market capital of the company. Shares repurchases also increase shareholder value by returning the money back to shareholders.
Net Debt Paydown Yield % is the change in average of four quarters of company's total debt over a company's market cap. Assuming the total value of a company remains that same, shareholder value is increased as debt is reduced.
Canadian National Railway Co Shareholder Yield % Related Terms
Canadian National Railway Co Shareholder Yield % 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.
Canadian National Railway Co Shareholder Yield % Chart
CNI vs UNP, CSX, NSC: Shareholder Yield % Comparison
For the Railroads subindustry, Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield %, along with its competitors' market caps and Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield % 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.
* All the data are calculated by TTM values. Note that if a companies is traded in several exchanges, then we calculate the company level data for Shareholder Yield % using the primary share class stock data. The calculation result in definition page is for demonstration purpose only, and it's showing the share class level data. Therefore, the numbers in the calculation may differ from elsewhere if the stock is not a primary share.
Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) has a Shareholder Yield % of 4.37% as of Mar. 2026. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. This is 33% above median its historical median of 3.28. Over the past decade, Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield % has ranged from 1.38 to 5.89. According to the industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #319 out of 983 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 32.5%.
Is Canadian National Railway Co's Shareholder Yield % too high?
Canadian National Railway Co's current Shareholder Yield % of 4.37% is 33% above median its 10-year median of 3.28. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.38 to a high of 5.89. The Transportation industry median Shareholder Yield % is 0.97. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 4.37% is 350.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #319 out of 983 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 Shareholder Yield % compare to UNP and CSX?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #319 out of 983 companies for Shareholder Yield %. This puts Canadian National Railway Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Shareholder Yield % is 0.97. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 4.37% is 350.5% above this benchmark. Historically, Canadian National Railway Co's own Shareholder Yield % has ranged from 1.38 to 5.89 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.28 vs. the industry median of 0.97, 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 Shareholder Yield % for a Transportation company?
The median Shareholder Yield % among Transportation companies is 0.97, based on 983 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Shareholder Yield % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Shareholder Yield % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Canadian National Railway Co's current Shareholder Yield % of 4.37% is 350.5% 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 Shareholder Yield % mean?
A high Shareholder Yield % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Shareholder Yield % is 0.97 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Canadian National Railway Co's current Shareholder Yield % is 4.37%, which is 33% above median its own 10-year median of 3.28. 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 $113.87, compared to a current price of $121.54 — trading 6.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Shareholder Yield % is 4.37%, which is 33% above median its 10-year median of 3.28 and 350.5% above the Transportation industry median of 0.97. 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 Shareholder Yield % calculated?
Shareholder Yield % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Canadian National Railway Co (CNI), the current Shareholder Yield % is 4.37% 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 $121.54 is trading 6.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $113.87.
GuruFocus considers Canadian National Railway Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for CNI:
Shareholder Yield %: 4.37% (33% above median its 10-year median of 3.28)
GF Value™: $113.87 vs. price of $121.54 (6.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 350.5% above the Transportation median (#319 of 983)
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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