Canadian Natural (CNQ) Q4-25 earnings: A $5B accounting illusion & the shifted buyback goalposts

Canadian Natural’s Q4 2025 printed a staggering 783% profit spike alongside shrinking revenue, masking a massive accounting maneuver and a major strategic pivot. In ~10 minutes:- How a Shell asset swap created a $4.9B non-cash earnings illusion.- Why management moved their own debt goalposts to unlock immediate payouts.- The $8.25B mining expansion shelved due to Canadian carbon tax uncertainty.- A hidden $1.78B penalty for offshore North Sea decommissioning blowouts.While the international portfolio is bleeding cash for end-of-life cleanups, the Canadian "manufacturing" base is running flawlessly with record production and lowest-ever injury rates. We unpack how CNQ is generating a mountain of free cash flow—and exactly why they are aggressively handing it back to shareholders right now instead of building their next oil sands megaproject.Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ) | Q4 FY2025AI-assisted production. Feedback/ticker requests: https://x.com/EarnUnscripted.