Better efficiency will offset tariff threat

Article Excerpt

CN’s shares are down about 18% from their recent peak of $181 in March 2024. That’s partly due to threats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada, which would hurt the company’s freight volumes. However, tariffs would also hurt the U.S. economy. Moreover, CN’s strong focus on improving efficiency should spur its earnings growth. CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. $149 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CNR; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 628.8 million; Market cap: $93.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.6; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cn.ca) operates Canada’s largest railway. Its 30,255-kilometre network stretches across the country, and passes through the U.S. Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. The company serves a wide variety of customers, which cuts its risk. In the latest quarter, intermodal (containers that travel by rail, ship and truck) accounted for 22% of revenue, followed by petroleum and chemicals (21%); grain and fertilizers (20%); metals (13%); forest products (12%);…