For the quarter ended June 2026, Canadian National (CNI) reported revenue of $3.43 billion, up 11.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.50, compared to $1.35 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.26 billion, representing a surprise of +5.44%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +7.91%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.39.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how CN performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:- Operating Ratio: 62.5% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 63.2%.
- Carloads - Total: 1.41 million versus 1.41 million estimated by four analysts on average.
- Carloads - Coal: 110 thousand versus the four-analyst average estimate of 110.81 thousand.
- Carloads - Forest Products: 70 thousand versus 69.24 thousand estimated by four analysts on average.
- Carloads - Automotive: 58 thousand versus 57.05 thousand estimated by four analysts on average.
- Carloads - Intermodal: 573 thousand versus the four-analyst average estimate of 586.5 thousand.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Petroleum & Chemicals: 11.87 billion versus 11.64 billion estimated by four analysts on average.
- Carloads - Petroleum & Chemicals: 170 thousand compared to the 166.4 thousand average estimate based on four analysts.
- Revenue Ton Miles (RTM): 62.25 billion compared to the 60.86 billion average estimate based on four analysts.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Metals & Minerals: 7.03 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 6.85 billion.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Automotive: 953 million compared to the 899.93 million average estimate based on four analysts.
- Carloads - Metals & Minerals: 234 thousand versus 231.96 thousand estimated by four analysts on average.
View all Key Company Metrics for CN here>>>
Shares of CN have returned +8.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
