Great Lakes Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI)

Great Lakes Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 161,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 12,503 shares during the quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s holdings in Canadian National Railway were worth $16,349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. purchased a new stake in Canadian National Railway in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in Canadian National Railway in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 80.2% in the fourth quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Coastline Trust Co purchased a new stake in Canadian National Railway in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 48.2% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 332 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.74% of the company’s stock.

Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Shares of CNI opened at $96.91 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $101.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.20. Canadian National Railway has a fifty-two week low of $93.64 and a fifty-two week high of $134.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.88 billion, a PE ratio of 18.93, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.66.

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $1.30 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 5.52 earnings per share 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 given a dividend of $0.6159 per share. This is a boost from Canadian National Railway’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.61. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $2.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.54%. Canadian National Railway’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CNI shares. TD Securities raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from $121.00 to $112.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from $119.00 to $112.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Canadian National Railway presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.19.

Canadian National Railway Profile

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.