Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. vs MPLX LP — how do they compare? Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. trades at $42.76 (market cap $88.15B), while MPLX LP trades at $56.69 (market cap $57.34B). The key difference: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is the larger of the two by market cap, and MPLX LP pays the higher dividend (7.62%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNQ | MPLX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $88.15B | $57.34B |
Sector | Energy | Technology |
52-Week High | $50.55 | $59.17 |
52-Week Low | $29.31 | $47.80 |
Enterprise Value | $99.38B | $81.97B |
Dividend Yield | 4.13% | 7.62% |
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.
MPLX trades at $57.21, up 0.46% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and a consensus price target of $60.60. The company reported strong profitability with a 41.24% net income margin and robust cash flow from operations of $5.91B in 2025. Recent earnings showed beats in Q3 and Q4 2025 but a miss in Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 results pending. A dividend of $1.08 was declared for H1-26, reinforcing income appeal.
The stock presents a compelling value with a P/E of 12.23 and high analyst buy consensus (71.43%), though risks include earnings volatility and high debt-to-asset ratio of 90.06%. Upside is supported by stable midstream operations and Permian Basin exposure, but investors should monitor Q2 2026 earnings for growth sustainability.
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 →MPLX LP is a Master Limited Partnership (MLP) formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC). It is a diversified, growth-oriented company primarily engaged in the gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as the transportation, storage, and distribution of crude oil and refined petroleum products. MPLX owns and operates a network of midstream energy infrastructure assets, providing essential services to the energy industry across the United States.
Read more on MPLX →