Core and Main Inc vs Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. — how do they compare? Core and Main Inc trades at $44.75 (market cap $8.46B), while Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. trades at $42.83 (market cap $88.15B). The key difference: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is far larger — about 10.4× Core and Main Inc's market cap, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. pays a 4.13% dividend while Core and Main Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNM | CNQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.46B | $88.15B |
Sector | Technology | Energy |
52-Week High | $66.98 | $50.55 |
52-Week Low | $44.29 | $29.31 |
Enterprise Value | $10.76B | $99.38B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.13% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $44.74, down 2.44% today, amid bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.72 exceeding expectations, and maintains solid profitability with a 23.73% ROE. Recent news highlights municipal strength and margin gains, though residential segments face weakness. Cash flow trends improved in 2026 projections, with net cash flow rising to $142M from $7M in 2025.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans bullish with 57% buy ratings, but technical indicators signal near-term pressure. Key risks include industry headwinds like high operating costs and residential market softness. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against current bearish momentum for entry timing.
CNQ trades at $43.05, up 2.97% today, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages and ADX. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 11.8, net income margin of 24.5%, and consistent earnings beats in recent quarters. Recent news highlights its robust asset base and operational efficiency amid volatile oil markets. Cash flow remains positive, with 2025 net cash flow at $542 million.
Outlook is positive with analyst consensus strongly favoring Buy (75%), driven by valuation appeal and shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks. Key risks include oil price volatility and rising debt-to-asset ratio, which increased to 22.04% in 2024. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high suggests cautious optimism, but fundamentals support long-term growth potential.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →Canadian Natural Resources is one of the largest oil and natural gas producers in western Canada, supplemented by operations in the North Sea and Offshore Africa. The company's portfolio includes light and medium oil, heavy oil, bitumen, synthetic oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas. Production averaged 1.16 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, and the company estimates that it holds over 11.5 billion boe of proven and probable crude oil and natural gas reserves.
Read more on CNQ →