For the quarter ended March 2025, Canadian National (CNI) reported revenue of $3.07 billion, down 2.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.29, compared to $1.28 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.11 billion, representing a surprise of -1.32%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +2.38%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.26.
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: 63.4% compared to the 63.7% average estimate based on seven analysts.
- Carloads - Coal: 118 thousand versus the five-analyst average estimate of 116.94 thousand.
- Carloads - Total: 1.31 million compared to the 1.34 million average estimate based on five analysts.
- Carloads - Metals & Minerals: 213 thousand versus the five-analyst average estimate of 228.44 thousand.
- Carloads - Petroleum & Chemicals: 163 thousand versus the five-analyst average estimate of 167.29 thousand.
- Carloads - Automotive: 51 thousand compared to the 49.98 thousand average estimate based on five analysts.
- Carloads - Intermodal: 517 thousand versus 529.11 thousand estimated by five analysts on average.
- Carloads - Forest Products: 73 thousand compared to the 75.3 thousand average estimate based on five analysts.
- Carloads - Grain & Fertilizers: 178 thousand versus the five-analyst average estimate of 176.64 thousand.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Grain & Fertilizers: 17.25 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 17.36 billion.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Coal: 5.45 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 5.04 billion.
- Revenue Ton Miles - Forest Products: 5.39 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of 5.53 billion.
View all Key Company Metrics for CN here>>>
Shares of CN have returned -3.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Canadian National Railway Company (CNI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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