Here's Why Investors Should Give Canadian National Stock a Miss Now

Core Insights - Canadian National Railway (CNI) is facing significant challenges that are adversely affecting its financial stability, primarily due to increased operating expenses and weak liquidity, making it less attractive for investors [1][6]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNI's current quarter earnings has been revised downward by 6% over the past 60 days, and for 2025, the estimate has been cut by 2.7% in the same period [1]. - CNI's stock price has decreased by 18.7% over the past year, which is a stark contrast to the Transportation - Rail industry's decline of 7.6% [2][6]. Industry Position - CNI currently holds a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), indicating a weak position in the market [4]. - The industry rank for CNI is 211 out of 243, placing it in the bottom 13% of Zacks Industries, which suggests a challenging environment for the company [4]. Earnings Surprise History - CNI has a disappointing earnings surprise history, having underperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters, with an average miss of 0.07% [5]. Operating Expenses and Liquidity - The company's operating expenses are projected to rise from $10.27 billion in 2022 to $10.8 billion in 2024, which is straining profitability and operational efficiency [7]. - CNI's current ratio has remained below one for several years, indicating insufficient short-term assets to cover short-term liabilities. The ratio fell from 0.84 in 2022 to 0.61 in 2023, slightly improved to 0.66 in 2024, but declined again to 0.60 in Q3 2025 [8].