CNI (Canadian National Railway Co) Altman Z2-Score: 2.26 (As of Jun. 28, 2026) — 19% Below Median


CNI Canadian National Railway Co CNI
90 GF Score
Price $120.56
GF Value $113.15
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 8 Warning Signs
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What is Canadian National Railway Co Altman Z2-Score?

Canadian National Railway Co CNI +0.17% 90 Altman Z2-Score is 2.26 as of Jun. 28, 2026, which is 19% below its 10-year median of 2.80. GuruFocus rates CNI with a GF Score™ of 90/100 and a GF Value™ of $113.15 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 996 Transportation companies, Canadian National Railway Co ranks worse than 59.04% on this metric.

Altman Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score, is used to predict the likelihood that a non-manufacturing company (excluding property/financial company) will face bankruptcy within a two-year period.

Canadian National Railway Co has a Altman Z2-Score of 2.26, indicating it is in Grey Zones. This implies that Canadian National Railway Co is in some kind of financial stress. If it is below 1.1, the company may face bankrupcy risk.

The zones of discrimination were as such:

When Altman Z2-Score <= 1.1, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score >= 2.6, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score is between 1.1 and 2.6, it is in Grey Zones.

The historical rank and industry rank for Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score or its related term are showing as below:

CNI' s Altman Z2-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.26   Med: 2.8   Max: 3.44
Current: 2.26

During the past 13 years, Canadian National Railway Co's highest Altman Z2-Score was 3.44. The lowest was 2.26. And the median was 2.80.


Canadian National Railway Co  (NYSE:CNI) Altman Z2-Score Explanation

The original Z-Score model was based on publicly traded manufacturing companies while the Z2-Score, also known as Z"-score can be used for any type of company excluding property/financial companies. Both Z-Score and Z2-Score describes the financial health of a company, and its likelihood of financial distress.

X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.

X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.

X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.

X4_2, Net Worth (Total Stockholders Equity - Preferred Stock)/Total Liabilities (NW/TL): it compares a company’s stock net worth with its total liabilities and can be used to assess the extent of its reliance on debt.

Read more about Altman Z2-Score, the original research on Z-Score and the additional research on Z2-Score.


Be Aware

Altman Z2-Score does not apply to financial companies.


Canadian National Railway Co Altman Z2-Score Related Terms


Canadian National Railway Co Altman Z2-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score can be seen below:

* 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 Altman Z2-Score Chart

Canadian National Railway Co Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Altman Z2-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 3.34 2.91 2.48 2.30 2.35

Canadian National Railway Co Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Altman Z2-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 2.32 2.49 2.30 2.35 2.26

CNI vs UNP, CSX, NSC: Altman Z2-Score Comparison

For the Railroads subindustry, Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z2-Score 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 Altman Z2-Score vs Transportation Industry

For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score falls into.


CNI
90GF Score
Canadian National Railway Co CNI
Altman Z2-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Canadian National Railway Co Altman Z2-Score Calculation

Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.

Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies.

Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score for today is calculated with this formula:

Z=6.56*X1+3.26*X2+6.72*X3+1.05*X4_2
=6.56*-0.0254+3.26*0.3143+6.72*0.1203+1.05*0.5643
=2.26

* 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. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z2-Score when X4_2 value is 0.

Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026:
Total Assets was $43,340 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $2,222 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $3,324 Mil.
Retained Earnings was $13,622 Mil.
Pre-Tax Income was 1108.601 + 1209.859 + 1089.345 + 1142.084 = $4,550 Mil.
Interest Expense was -170.554 + -169.627 + -164.088 + -160.228 = $-664 Mil.
Total Liabilities was $27,706 Mil.

* Note that for stock reported semi-annually or annually, GuruFocus uses latest annual data as the TTM data.

X1=Working Capital/Total Assets
=(Total Current Assets - Total Current Liabilities)/Total Assets
=(2221.574 - 3323.615)/43340.379
=-0.0254

X2=Retained Earnings/Total Assets
=13621.72/43340.379
=0.3143

X3=Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets
=(Pre-Tax Income - Interest Expense)/Total Assets
=(4549.889 - -664.497)/43340.379
=0.1203

X4_2=Net Worth/Total Liabilities
=(Total Stockholders Equity - Preferred Stock)/Total Liabilities
=(15634.84 - 0)/27705.539
=0.5643

The zones of discrimination were as such:

Distress Zones - 1.1 < Grey Zones < 2.6 - Safe Zones

Canadian National Railway Co has a Altman Z2-Score of 2.26 indicating it is in Grey Zones.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Altman Z2-Score →
What does a Altman Z2-Score of 2.26 mean?
Canadian National Railway Co (CNI) has a Altman Z2-Score of 2.26 as of Jun. 28, 2026. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. This is 19% below median its historical median of 2.80. Over the past decade, Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 2.26 to 3.44. According to the industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #588 out of 996 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 59%.
Is Canadian National Railway Co's Altman Z2-Score too high?
Canadian National Railway Co's current Altman Z2-Score of 2.26 is 19% below median its 10-year median of 2.80. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.26 to a high of 3.44. The Transportation industry median Altman Z2-Score is 2.94. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 2.26 is 23.1% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #588 out of 996 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 Altman Z2-Score compare to UNP and CSX?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Canadian National Railway Co ranks #588 out of 996 companies for Altman Z2-Score. This places Canadian National Railway Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z2-Score is 2.94. Canadian National Railway Co's value of 2.26 is 23.1% below this benchmark. Historically, Canadian National Railway Co's own Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 2.26 to 3.44 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.80 vs. the industry median of 2.94, 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 Altman Z2-Score for a Transportation company?
The median Altman Z2-Score among Transportation companies is 2.94, based on 996 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z2-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z2-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Canadian National Railway Co's current Altman Z2-Score of 2.26 is 23.1% 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 Altman Z2-Score mean?
A high Altman Z2-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Canadian National Railway Co and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Altman Z2-Score is 2.94 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Canadian National Railway Co's current Altman Z2-Score is 2.26, which is 19% below median its own 10-year median of 2.80. 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 $113.15, compared to a current price of $120.56 — trading 6.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z2-Score is 2.26, which is 19% below median its 10-year median of 2.80 and 23.1% below the Transportation industry median of 2.94. 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 Altman Z2-Score calculated?
Altman Z2-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Canadian National Railway Co (CNI), the current Altman Z2-Score is 2.26 as of Jun. 28, 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 $120.56 is trading 6.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $113.15. GuruFocus considers Canadian National Railway Co to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for CNI:

  • Altman Z2-Score: 2.26 (19% below median its 10-year median of 2.80)
  • GF Value™: $113.15 vs. price of $120.56 (6.5% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 90/100 with 8 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 23.1% below the Transportation median (#588 of 996)

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 Railway Co Business Description

Address 935 de La Gauchetiere Street West, Montreal, QC, CAN, H3B 2M9
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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Altman Z2-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$120.56
Price
$113.15
GF Value