Current Yield
2.10%
TTM Dividend/Share
$2.61
Payment Frequency
Quarterly
Payout Ratio
34.4%
Consecutive Growth Years
30 (Dividend Champion)
Key takeaways
- Dividend Champion — Canadian National Railway (CNI) has raised its dividend for 30 consecutive years.
- Canadian National Railway (CNI) currently yields 2.10%, paying $2.61 per share over the trailing twelve months, distributed quarterly.
- Payout ratio is 34.4% — the share of earnings distributed as dividends.
- 5 of 8 dividend safety checks passed.
- 5-year dividend CAGR of 8.02% (growth is decelerating).
Dividend yield valuation for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
Current dividend yield vs its own 1Y / 3Y / 5Y historical averages — a rough valuation signal.
Valuation zone | Near average — fair value |
Current yield (now) | 2.10% |
1-year average yield | 2.61%now 0.51 pp below |
3-year average yield | 2.27%now 0.17 pp below |
5-year average yield | 2.04%now 0.06 pp above |
CNI: a yield above its history can signal value (or risk); below can signal a rich price. One valuation signal among many — review fundamentals before investing.
Dividend health for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
Cash-flow, leverage and returns metrics that signal whether the dividend is well-covered and sustainable.
Chowder score | 10.1% |
FCF payout ratio | 15.7% |
Net debt / EBITDA | 2.4x |
Interest coverage | 7.68x |
ROIC (TTM) | 12.4% |
Dividend safety score for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
Checks covering payout coverage, free-cash-flow support, leverage and dividend-growth durability.
5 of 8 checks passed
Payout ratio below 75%
Payout ratio is 34.4%, well below the 75% threshold.
Free cash flow covers dividend
TTM FCF after dividends is $1.4B — FCF fully covers the payout.
No dividend cuts in 10+ years
17 dividend cut(s) in the last 10 years.
Positive earnings growth trend
Earnings per share have declined over the past 5 years.
10+ years of consecutive growth
30 consecutive years of dividend growth.
FCF payout ratio below 70%
FCF payout ratio is 15.7%, below the 70% threshold.
Net Debt/EBITDA below 3x
Net Debt/EBITDA is 2.4x.
Dividend growth ≤ earnings growth (5Y)
Dividend growth (8.0%) exceeds EPS growth (-5.0%) — payout ratio expanding.
This analysis is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Safety scores and comparisons reflect historical data and do not predict future performance.
Per-payment dividend history
122 payments from 1996 to 2026 · Adj. Dividend is split-adjusted
| Jun 9, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | $0.6555 | $0.6555 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Mar 31, 2026 | $0.6746 | $0.6746 |
| Dec 9, 2025 | Dec 30, 2025 | $0.6407 | $0.6407 |
| Sep 8, 2025 | Sep 29, 2025 | $0.6427 | $0.6427 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | $0.6489 | $0.6489 |
| Mar 10, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | $0.6150 | $0.6150 |
| Dec 9, 2024 | Dec 30, 2024 | $0.5987 | $0.5987 |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Sep 27, 2024 | $0.6231 | $0.6231 |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Jun 28, 2024 | $0.6180 | $0.6180 |
| Mar 6, 2024 | Mar 28, 2024 | $0.6220 | $0.6220 |
| Dec 6, 2023 | Dec 28, 2023 | $0.5808 | $0.5808 |
| Sep 7, 2023 | Sep 29, 2023 | $0.5790 | $0.5790 |
- Jun 9, 2026$0.6555
- Mar 10, 2026$0.6746
- Dec 9, 2025$0.6407
- Sep 8, 2025$0.6427
- Jun 9, 2025$0.6489
- Mar 10, 2025$0.6150
- Dec 9, 2024$0.5987
- Sep 6, 2024$0.6231
- Jun 7, 2024$0.6180
- Mar 6, 2024$0.6220
- Dec 6, 2023$0.5808
- Sep 7, 2023$0.5790
Historical dividend yield for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
Mean trailing dividend yield using one ratio snapshot per calendar year.Mean yield1Y: 2.61%5Y: 2.04%10Y: 1.87%
Dividend per share for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
CAGR (per year)1Y: 3.47%5Y: 8.02%10Y: 10.17%↓ Decelerating
| Year | Total ($/share) | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $0.07 | 4 |
| 1997 | $0.08 | 4 |
| 1998 | $0.09 | 4 |
| 1999 | $0.10 | 4 |
| 2000 | $0.12 | 4 |
| 2001 | $0.13 | 4 |
| 2002 | $0.14 | 4 |
| 2003 | $0.17 | 4 |
| 2004 | $0.20 | 4 |
| 2005 | $0.25 | 4 |
| 2006 | $0.33 | 4 |
| 2007 | $0.42 | 4 |
| 2008 | $0.46 | 4 |
| 2009 | $0.51 | 4 |
| 2010 | $0.52 | 4 |
| 2011 | $0.66 | 4 |
| 2012 | $0.75 | 4 |
| 2013 | $0.82 | 4 |
| 2014 | $0.90 | 4 |
| 2015 | $0.97 | 4 |
| 2016 | $1.15 | 4 |
| 2017 | $1.27 | 4 |
| 2018 | $1.39 | 4 |
| 2019 | $1.62 | 4 |
| 2020 | $1.73 | 4 |
| 2021 | $1.96 | 4 |
| 2022 | $2.25 | 4 |
| 2023 | $2.32 | 4 |
| 2024 | $2.46 | 4 |
| 2025 | $2.55 | 4 |
| 2026 | $1.33 | 2 |
Dividend growth for Canadian National Railway (CNI)
Year-over-year change in total annual dividend per share (split-adjusted, by ex-dividend year). Green is an increase, red a cut.
Dividend Increase Track Record
Year-over-year change in total annual DPS (dividends per share, split-adjusted), based on ex-dividend date.
| 2026 | $2.5473 | — | — |
| 2025 | $2.4618 | $2.5473 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $2.3241 | $2.4618 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | $2.2505 | $2.3241 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $1.9646 | $2.2505 | +14.6% |
| 2021 | $1.7324 | $1.9646 | +13.4% |
| 2020 | $1.6198 | $1.7324 | +6.9% |
| 2019 | $1.3908 | $1.6198 | +16.5% |
| 2018 | $1.2736 | $1.3908 | +9.2% |
| 2017 | $1.1476 | $1.2736 | +11.0% |
| 2016 | $0.9672 | $1.1476 | +18.6% |
| 2015 | $0.8985 | $0.9672 | +7.6% |
| 2014 | $0.8237 | $0.8985 | +9.1% |
| 2013 | $0.7480 | $0.8237 | +10.1% |
| 2012 | $0.6589 | $0.7480 | +13.5% |
| 2011 | $0.5224 | $0.6589 | +26.1% |
| 2010 | $0.5050 | $0.5224 | +3.4% |
| 2009 | $0.4595 | $0.5050 | +9.9% |
| 2008 | $0.4200 | $0.4595 | +9.4% |
| 2007 | $0.3250 | $0.4200 | +29.2% |
| 2006 | $0.2500 | $0.3250 | +30.0% |
| 2005 | $0.1950 | $0.2500 | +28.2% |
| 2004 | $0.1667 | $0.1950 | +17.0% |
| 2003 | $0.1433 | $0.1667 | +16.3% |
| 2002 | $0.1300 | $0.1433 | +10.3% |
| 2001 | $0.1167 | $0.1300 | +11.4% |
| 2000 | $0.1000 | $0.1167 | +16.7% |
| 1999 | $0.0883 | $0.1000 | +13.2% |
| 1998 | $0.0767 | $0.0883 | +15.2% |
| 1997 | $0.0667 | $0.0767 | +15.0% |
| 1996 | — | $0.0667 | — |
- 2026—
- 2025$2.5473
- 2024$2.4618
- 2023$2.3241
- 2022$2.2505
- 2021$1.9646
- 2020$1.7324
- 2019$1.6198
- 2018$1.3908
- 2017$1.2736
- 2016$1.1476
- 2015$0.9672
- 2014$0.8985
- 2013$0.8237
- 2012$0.7480
- 2011$0.6589
- 2010$0.5224
- 2009$0.5050
- 2008$0.4595
- 2007$0.4200
- 2006$0.3250
- 2005$0.2500
- 2004$0.1950
- 2003$0.1667
- 2002$0.1433
- 2001$0.1300
- 2000$0.1167
- 1999$0.1000
- 1998$0.0883
- 1997$0.0767
- 1996$0.0667
DPS sums split-adjusted amounts (adj. dividend) by ex-dividend calendar year—the same basis as the Adj. Dividend column in Dividend Payment History. The Dividend column can differ after stock splits. This table uses four decimals per annual total so the Change column matches the shown amounts; each payment row in Dividend Payment History also uses four.
Frequently asked questions
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