Canadian National Railway’s CNI tech-savvy initiatives are boosting the company’s operational efficiency. Efforts to expand its fleet are also encouraging. However, the economic downturn does not bode well for CNI.

Factors Favoring CNI

CNI's proactive initiatives toward technology advancement demonstrate a strong commitment to improving operational efficiency and safety. This year, the company is deploying its fourth-generation Autonomous Track Inspection Program, which uses ground-penetrating radar to provide detailed assessments of ballast and subgrade conditions, allowing for prompt repairs.

CNI maintains a strategic reserve of locomotives in critical corridors to limit delays caused by weather and deploys backup power generators across the network. This ensures operations continue even during localized or widespread power failures.

Canadian National’s commitment to enhancing network reliability is commendable. In 2024, the company invested more than $1 million to overhaul 20 of its air cars, replacing air compressors and other major components to ensure optimal performance. Since 2009, CNI has allocated $61.6 million to its air car program, strategically deploying these cars during colder months to minimize the need to shorten trains. This approach improves service reliability and safeguards capacity.

The 2024-2025 Grain Plan showcases the company's commitment to enhancing operational capabilities and efficiently transporting the Canadian grain crop. Key highlights of the Grain Plan include the delivery of 750 new high-efficiency grain hopper cars, a sustained focus on scheduled railroading, the deployment of new firefighting equipment to protect the supply chain and the integration of new technologies to improve safety.

Canadian National’s commitment to rewarding shareholders through dividends and share repurchases is encouraging. In the second quarter of 2024, CNI declared a quarterly dividend of C$0.8450 per share. As of March 31, 2024, the company had repurchased 3.5 million common shares for $597 million under its current Normal Course Issuer Bid. CNI plans to repurchase up to 32 million common shares between Feb. 1, 2024 and Jan. 31, 2025 under its existing NCIB.

CNI: Key Risks to Watch

The economic downturn is significantly impacting CNI’s prospects. The company is mired in several headwinds, including labor uncertainty and work stoppage, wildfires in Alberta, weaker-than-expected demand for forest products and metals and delays in the recovery of overseas intermodal services due to ongoing port labor issues.

These factors are altogether hurting the company’s financial stability and have led CNI to revise its financial guidance for full-year 2024. Canadian Nationalnow expects adjusted diluted EPS growth in the low-single-digit range, a decline from its previous expectation of mid to high-single-digit growth as of July 23, 2024.

Weak liquidity and elevated operating expenses represent further headwinds for CNI. In the second quarter of 2024, total operating expenses rose by 12.8% year over year. The company reported a current ratio of 0.63. A current ratio below 1 suggests that Canadian National may struggle to meet its short-term obligations.

Shares of CNI have declined 6.8% year to date compared to its industry’s growth of 0.7% in the same period.

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CNI's Zacks Rank

CNI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks for investors’ consideration in the Zacks Transportation sector include C.H. Robinson Worldwide CHRW and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies WAB.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.  CHRW has an expected earnings growth rate of 25.2% for the current year.

The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average surprise of 7.3%. Shares of CHRW have risen 28.1% in the past year.

WAB carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present and has an expected earnings growth rate of 26% for the current year.

The company has an encouraging track record with respect to the earnings surprise, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missing once. The average beat is 11.8%. Shares of WAB have climbed 73.6% in the past year.

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