CNQ
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd
$44.74
▲ 1.8%Updated Today 12:18 PM ET
CNQ at a glance — five pillars scored 0–100 from real filed financials.
Overall: Strong · 74/100. A wider, greener shape means more pillars look healthy. Dividends scores 0 when a company pays none — that is a choice, not a flaw.
▲ Up 22.7% over the last 12 months
Market Cap
$86.08B
P/E
12.14x
Forward P/E (est.)
9.33x
ROE
22.7%
Revenue Growth
0.7%
EPS Growth
30.2%
Profit Margin
25.1%
FCF Yield
33.5%
Debt / Equity
0.44x
ROIC
—
Interest Coverage
—
Current Ratio
0.95x
Dividend Yield
4.4%
Implied Growth (rev. DCF)
—
Rating Score
74/100
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) is a large-cap company in the Energy industry, part of the Energy sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $86.08B.
In its latest reported year it generated about $28.30B in revenue and $7.90B in net profit.
Our model rates CNQ Strong (74/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.
Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what CNQ's chart says today, with each tool explained.
Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. CNQ trades near $44.74, around its 50-day average ($44.94) and 200-day average ($39.22). Price tangled in its moving averages means there is no clear trend — the stock is ranging.
Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 20 it is oversold — selling has been heavy and a bounce is possible.
MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.
Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. CNQ's is $1.10 (~2.5% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.
Support & resistance. Over the last month CNQ found buyers near $38.83 (support) and sellers near $47.76 (resistance); its 52-week range is $29.30–$51.34. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.
Volume. The latest session traded 0.2× the 20-day average — lighter than usual, so the move carries less conviction. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.
Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.
4Y CAGR
6.6%
Revenue moved from $8.34B in 2016 to $28.30B in 2025, a 14.5% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year was roughly flat (0.7%) year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.
Gross Margin
48.7%
Operating Margin
32.8%
Net Margin
27.9%
ROE
22.7%
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd keeps about 25.1% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 48.7% gross margin and 32.8% operating margin. Return on equity is 22.7%. Margins this wide usually signal pricing power or a cost advantage.
Total Debt
$11.81B
Net Debt
$11.32B
Net Debt / EBITDA
—
Debt / Equity
0.44x
Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.4x, with a current ratio of 0.9x. That is a conservative balance sheet — a cushion in downturns. It carries roughly $11.81B of total debt against $491.29M of cash.
Operating CF
$11.03B
Free Cash Flow
$11.03B
FCF Margin
39.0%
In the latest year Canadian Natural Resources Ltd produced about $11.03B of operating cash flow and $11.03B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 33.5% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.
Can the payout survive a bad year? Scored from filed cash flow, earnings coverage, and the raise/cut record.
The dividend is being paid, but coverage or consistency is thinner than an income investor should rely on without a closer look.
Dividend yield
4.4%
Total paid (latest FY)
$3.56B
History on record
10 years
dividend uses 32% of free cash flow
45% of net income paid out
total dividends increased 2 years in a row
payout was cut at least once in the last 10 years
Coverage uses the latest fiscal year as filed with the SEC; the streak counts total dollars paid (per-share figures can carry split artifacts). Educational information, not income advice.
P/E
12.14x
P/S
3.04x
P/B
2.18x
EV / EBITDA
—
CNQ trades at 12.1x trailing earnings (about 9.3x on estimated forward earnings), 3.0x sales, and 2.2x book value. That is an undemanding multiple — potentially cheap if the business is stable.
Where CNQ sits versus its Energy sector peers in the S&P 500.
Bands show the middle half (25th–75th percentile) of the 47 Energy companies in the S&P 500 — the peer-relative anchor professional comps analysis uses. Context only — not investment advice.
How CNQ stacks up against its Energy peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.
In the Energy sector (57 S&P 500 companies), CNQ ranks #5 of 57 by our overall rating. It trades at a discount versus the sector on earnings (12.1x P/E vs. 19.3x median) with a higher return on equity (22.7% vs. 13.3%) and similar revenue growth (0.7% vs. 0.7%).
P/E vs sector
12.1x
median 19.3x
ROE vs sector
22.7%
median 13.3%
Growth vs sector
0.7%
median 0.7%
Sector rank
#5
of 57 by rating
Valuation vs. quality map
The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.
Peers are the closest Energy companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 57 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.
Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.
2030 price target (Base Case)
$0.00 – $0.00
vs. $44.74 today · expected CAGR -6% – 5%
| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $29.15B | $30.02B | $30.92B | $31.85B | $32.80B |
| Net income | $8.16B | $8.41B | $8.66B | $8.92B | $9.18B |
| EPS | $4.24 | $4.37 | $4.50 | $4.63 | $4.77 |
| Share price (low) | $29.69 | $30.58 | $31.50 | $32.44 | $33.42 |
| Share price (high) | $50.90 | $52.43 | $54.00 | $55.62 | $57.29 |
| CAGR (low–high) | -34% / 14% | -17% / 8% | -11% / 6% | -8% / 6% | -6% / 5% |
Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.
The case for CNQ:
- High net margins (25.1%) point to pricing power or efficiency.
- Strong return on equity (22.7%) shows capital is put to work well.
- Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~33.5%) funds buybacks and dividends.
- A conservative balance sheet (debt/equity 0.4x) lowers risk.
- Pays a 4.4% dividend on top of any price gains.
- Our model's overall read is Strong (74/100).
The case against CNQ:
- Revenue growth is slow (0.7%), limiting the upside engine.
- Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Growth risk — sluggish revenue (0.7%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.
Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.
On balance, the fundamentals screen favourably: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is a large-cap energy business growing at a mature pace, with solid profitability, and a sound balance sheet. It trades at 12.1x earnings, which our model scores Strong (74/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.
Analyst Ratings
What 24 Wall Street analysts covering CNQ recommend (July 2026). Consensus is a useful sanity check — not a substitute for your own homework.
Analysts have turned more cautious over the last three months (-4 pts of buy ratings).
Latest SEC Filings
CNQ's most recent filings, straight from SEC EDGAR. Annual and quarterly reports are the deep dives; 8-Ks flag material events the moment they happen.
In the Idea Lab
CNQ — frequently asked questions
Is CNQ a good stock to buy?
We don't give buy or sell advice. Our model rates Canadian Natural Resources Ltd Strong (74/100) based on its growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation — use that as a research starting point and make your own decision.
What is CNQ's rating on The Stocks School?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd currently scores 74/100 (Strong) on our transparent model, which weighs real fundamentals: growth, margins, returns on capital, balance-sheet strength, and valuation.
How our ratings work →Where does CNQ's data come from?
Live price data plus real fundamentals and 5-year financials pulled directly from Canadian Natural Resources Ltd's SEC filings — refreshed automatically, not hand-entered.
How is the 5-year projection for CNQ calculated?
It's a scenario model: it grows revenue at an assumed rate, applies a profit margin and a valuation multiple, and shows the resulting share-price range. The assumptions are yours to change — it's a tool for thinking, not a prediction.
Is this CNQ analysis financial advice?
No. Everything on this page is educational research, not financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell CNQ. Always do your own research and consider a licensed professional.
Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.
Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.