Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) fair value: what the stock is really worth
We calculate from audited financials what Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is really worth. The fair value tells you whether the price is too high or too low, the quality score (0 to 100) how solid the business behind it is. 26 models, 37 quality factors, updated daily.
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Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 17, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $11.60 – $51.81 · fair‑value band $31.59 – $95.22 · the $48.28 price screens below the $56.71 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 17, 2026.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, marketing, and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in Western Canada, the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, and Offshore Africa.
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Canadian Natural Resources Limited engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, marketing, and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in Western Canada, the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, and Offshore Africa. The company offers synthetic crude oil (SCO), mining bitumen, light and medium crude oil and NGLs, thermal bitumen, primary heavy crude oil and Pelican Lake heavy crude oil. Its midstream assets include two crude oil pipeline systems; and a 50% working interest in an 84-megawatt cogeneration plant at Primrose. The company was formerly known as AEX Minerals Corporation and changed its name to Canadian Natural Resources Limited in December 1975. Canadian Natural Resources Limited was incorporated in 1973 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Stock analysis
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) currently trades at $48.28, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $56.71, implying the stock looks roughly 14.9% undervalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the Growth Earnings group reads highest at a median of $87.51 per share, and 13 of the 26 models we run sit above the $48.28 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at $14.41, and 13 of the 26 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: $31.59 (bear) to $95.22 (bull), the price of $48.28 sits inside it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 72/100 (solid quality), in the Energy sector.
Healthy Growth: Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd reported revenue of C$44.2B in FY2025 versus C$32.9B in FY2021, a compound +7.7%/yr. Reported net income was C$10.8B in FY2025, compounding +9.0%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap $101B · P/E ratio 12.0 · P/S ratio 2.93 · EPS (TTM) $4.08 · Dividend yield 4.9% · Net margin 24.5% · Return on equity 26.7% · Return on assets (EBIT) 14.8%.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 42 out of 100 (medium confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 5% below its 52-week high and 71% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Energy peers we cover trades at 10% fair-value upside, at 17%, CNQ screens cheaper than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear $31.59Fair Value $56.71Bull $95.22
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 9 months old). Earnings retained since then ($0.8911 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.100/100
Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
+18.3%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+13.4%
Dividend (yield on the price)4.9%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.13% vs 11%, steady
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.−3% → 19%
Growth Forecast
A lot of optimism in the price
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and more than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
+1.4%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
−4.9%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (99 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Positive
Recent news coverage is more positive than average.
Compare Canadian Natural Resources Ltd with another stock
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Oil & Gas E&P · 303 stocks
Beats the industry median on 8/15 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score72 · Top 25%
Fair Value upside−37% · Below median
Profitability
Return on equity (TTM)27% · Top 25%
Return on assets8% · Top 25%
Net margin (TTM)26% · Top 25%
Operating margin (TTM)43% · Top 25%
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth70% · Top 25%
Dividend yield (TTM)4.9% · Above median
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.37× · Above median
Valuation Multiplesvs Oil & Gas E&P median · lower = cheaper
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Is Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 17, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $56.71 versus a price of $48.28, about +17% upside (undervalued).
What is the fair value of CNQ?
Our model-based fair value for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is $56.71 (as of Sep 17, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $48.28.
What is the quality score of CNQ?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd has a Quality Score of 72/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $56.71 (as of Sep 17, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario $31.59, optimistic scenario $95.22. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Canadian Natural Resources Ltd stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $56.71, about +17% upside versus a price of $48.28 (undervalued). Cautious scenario $31.59, optimistic scenario $95.22. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $38.6B (latest available figure, as of Sep 17, 2026).
Does Canadian Natural Resources Ltd pay a dividend?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd currently shows a dividend yield of about 4.95% relative to its recent price (as of Sep 17, 2026).
What growth is priced into Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd would have to grow free cash flow by +1.4 % per year for five years (discount rate 9.0 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +20.4 % per year. As of Sep 17, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of CNQ use?
Our models discount Canadian Natural Resources Ltd at 9.0 %: a base by market capitalisation (large), damped by beta 0.88, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Canadian Natural Resources Ltd that is +1.4 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (9.0 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd grew +20.4 % a year. The price currently implies +1.4 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +1.6 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (+1.4 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 8.12 %: that much free cash flow Canadian Natural Resources Ltd produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (9.0 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Canadian Natural Resources Ltd it is $56.71 per share (as of Sep 17, 2026), against a price of $48.28. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Canadian Natural Resources Ltd stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 17, 2026, CNQ trades below its calculated fair value: price $48.28, fair value $56.71, a gap of about +17% (undervalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of CNQ?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($48.28); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($56.71). For Canadian Natural Resources Ltd the two are $8.43 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Canadian Natural Resources Ltd worth?
The market values Canadian Natural Resources Ltd at about $101B (market capitalisation, as of Sep 17, 2026). Per share that is $48.28; our models calculate a fair value of $56.71 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about CNQ?
Our models span a range for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd: cautious scenario $31.59, base $56.71, optimistic $95.22 per share (as of Sep 17, 2026, price $48.28). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of CNQ?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.0 (as of Sep 17, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of $56.71 is built from several models across several years. Other multiples: PEG 3.4, P/B 2.3, P/S 2.3, EV/EBITDA 6.2.
What is the PEG ratio of CNQ?
The PEG ratio of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 3.42 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Sep 17, 2026). That is above 1, so the growth is already paid for in the price.
How solid is the balance sheet of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Balance-sheet figures for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (as of Sep 17, 2026): return on equity 26.7%, debt of 0.37 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 72/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is CNQ from its 52-week high?
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd trades at $48.28, about 5% below its 52-week high of $50.98 and 71% above the low of $28.30 (as of Sep 17, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $56.71 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Canadian Natural Resources Ltd?
From the same area (Energy) we also value CNOOC Limited, ConocoPhillips explores for,, EOG Resources, Inc, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Canadian Natural Resources Ltd stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 17, 2026: price $48.28, calculated fair value $56.71 (+17%), Quality Score 72/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of CNQ calculated?
We run Canadian Natural Resources Ltd through 26 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of $56.71, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 16.1 % above its aggregate fair value. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd currently trades 17 % below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The closing price on Sep 21, 2026 was $48.28. Our model-based fair value is $56.71, about +17% upside (undervalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Canadian Natural Resources Ltd right now?
The model range is unusually wide ($31.59 to $95.22). The outcome hinges heavily on assumptions, so read the point estimate with caution. The price sits in the lower half of our model range, the side with the larger margin of safety. The data supports the verdict: every model runs on fully documented inputs.
Key figures of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd
How large is the market capitalisation of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The market capitalisation of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is $101B. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 2.93 (P/E × margin). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Earnings per share at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd are $4.08 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 12.0). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The dividend yield of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 4.9% (payout 58.5%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The net margin of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 24.5% (fiscal year 2025). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 26.7% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 14.8% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
The operating margin of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is 43.1% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Revenue at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is growing +69.5% versus a year earlier (3y avg −3.7%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ)?
Earnings per share at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd are growing +83.8% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) carry?
The net debt of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is $19.0B (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 2.3 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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Broad data
Sep 17, 2026