Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. vs Marathon Petroleum Corp — how do they compare? Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. trades at $42.83 (market cap $88.15B), while Marathon Petroleum Corp trades at $299.88 (market cap $88.57B). The key difference: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Marathon Petroleum Corp are close in size by market cap, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. pays the higher dividend (4.13%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNQ | MPC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $88.15B | $88.57B |
Sector | Energy | Energy |
52-Week High | $50.55 | $303.40 |
52-Week Low | $29.31 | $158.59 |
Enterprise Value | $99.38B | $120.75B |
Dividend Yield | 4.13% | 1.29% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
Marathon Petroleum (MPC) trades at $296.88, up 4.63% today and near its 52-week high. The stock shows strong momentum with bullish moving averages and a consensus analyst rating of Buy (75.76%). Recent earnings beat expectations in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, though revenue has declined from $177.5B in 2022 to $132.7B in 2025. The company maintains solid profitability with a 3.42% net margin and 27.92% ROE, supported by a dividend payment of $1.00 scheduled for June 2026.
MPC's outlook is positive due to elevated refining margins and analyst optimism, but risks include volatile oil prices, legal challenges over AI pricing allegations, and declining revenue trends. The stock trades above the consensus price target of $292.70, suggesting limited near-term upside despite strong institutional support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Marathon Petroleum is an independent refiner with 13 refineries in the midcontinent, West Coast, and Gulf Coast of the United States with total throughput capacity of 2.9 million barrels per day. Its Dickinson, ND, facility produces 184 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. Its Martinez, CA, facility will have the ability to produce 730 million gallons a year of renewable diesel once converted. The firm also owns and operates midstream assets primarily through its listed MLP, MPLX.
Read more on MPC →