Heartland Advisors Inc. Sells 432 Shares of Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI)

Heartland Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,185 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 432 shares during the period. Heartland Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Canadian National Railway were worth $1,237,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Canadian National Railway during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $563,048,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 6,737,322 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $789,030,000 after acquiring an additional 2,137,948 shares during the period. Canoe Financial LP acquired a new stake in shares of Canadian National Railway during the 4th quarter valued at about $216,943,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Canadian National Railway in the third quarter valued at about $159,907,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Canadian National Railway by 4.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,562,189 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,175,935,000 after purchasing an additional 790,420 shares in the last quarter. 80.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CNI opened at $97.39 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $101.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $106.64. The firm has a market cap of $61.20 billion, a PE ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.91. 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 has a 1-year low of $93.64 and a 1-year high of $132.27.

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by ($0.09). Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 26.09%. Research analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Canadian National Railway Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.6159 dividend. This represents a $2.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Canadian National Railway’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.61. Canadian National Railway’s payout ratio is currently 47.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Canadian National Railway from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on Canadian National Railway from $115.00 to $113.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from $174.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from $125.00 to $123.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Loop Capital cut shares of Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average 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.