Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) Shares Acquired by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) by 11.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,281,715 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 128,966 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned about 0.20% of Canadian National Railway worth $130,107,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Canadian National Railway in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in Canadian National Railway during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Canadian National Railway during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Canadian National Railway by 80.2% in the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 48.2% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 332 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 80.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Canadian National Railway Stock Down 2.4 %

Canadian National Railway stock opened at $97.39 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $101.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.51. The stock has a market cap of $61.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.91. Canadian National Railway has a 52 week low of $93.64 and a 52 week high of $132.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94.

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 26.09%. On average, analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Canadian National Railway Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.6159 per share. This is a positive change from Canadian National Railway’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.61. This represents a $2.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Canadian National Railway’s payout ratio is presently 47.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CNI. Loop Capital cut Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Securities upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Barclays decreased their target price on Canadian National Railway from $121.00 to $112.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Canadian National Railway from $174.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and four have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.02.

About Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks.