Today I'm reviewing a large-cap oil & gas exploration and production (e&p) firm by the name of Canadian Natural Resources Limited. Its trading ticker symbol is CNQ.

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd is an oil and natural gas producer in Western Canada and worldwide. Its portfolio includes light and medium oil, heavy oil, bitumen, synthetic oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas.

It operates primarily in Western Canada; the United Kingdom portion of the North Sea; and Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, and in South Africa, Offshore. 

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 founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity or fund like Canadian Natural Resources Limited(CNQ): 

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

Besides those three, four more keys will finally unlock an equity or fund in which to invest.

But those first three primary keys, best tell whether a company has made, is making, and will make money. 

CNQ Price

CNQ's price per share was $36.04 at yesterday's market close. A year ago its price was $31.20 for a gain of $4.84 per share.  

Assuming CNQ's price will trade in the range of $30 to $42 next year, that $4.84 gain would take its current $36.04 price to $40.88 by early August, 2019. 

CNQ Dividends

CNQ's most recent variable quarterly dividend was $0.2571declared August 2and payable October 1.

At it's most recent quarterly pay rate, its 2018 annual dividend is calculated at $1.03yielding2.85% at yesterdays closing $36.04 price.

Gains For CNQ?

Adding the $1.03 estimated annual dividend to the $4.84year over year theoretical price gain for CNQ makes a $5.87gross annual per share gain, which will be reduced by costs to trade the shares.  

A little over $1,000.00 invested today at the $36.04 recent price buys 28 Canadian Natural Resources Limited shares. 

A $10 broker fee paid half at purchase and half at sale costs about $0.36 per share, subtracting that $0.36 brokerage cost from the estimated $5.87 gross gain leaves a net gain of $5.51 X 28 shares = $154.28 or a 15.4% net gain on a $1,009.12 investment.

Therefore, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, whose trading ticker symbol is CNQ, now shows a possible 15.4% net gain including a 2.85% dividend yield. 

Twenty-seven analysts cover this stock:

Eleven say "buy"

Twelve say CNQ will "outperform" its peers.

Four rate it "hold".

So, the analyst consensus recommendation is 1.74 or "outperform".

The price target set by those twenty-seven brokers is $0.52 below the $40.88 year over year price target I stated. 

Y Charts has data too. Y Charts has rated CNQ "neutral" for an overall "Y" rating; it has "average" for a Value score, and "average" for a Fundamental mark as well as "22.16% under" for a Historic Valuation score based on a historic $46.31 valuation.

So, you could look at all the numbers this way, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ) has made money, is making money, and could net a 15.4%gain including a 2.85% dividend yield. It could be more, it could be less.

The above speculation is based on past year performance. Actual results remain to be seen. Results could turn out to be far higher or lower. More study is required for you to determine if Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ) s worth your time and money.