  The electronic structure of the newly discovered superconducting perovskite
MgCNi$_3$ is calculated using the LMTO and KKR methods. The states near the
Fermi energy are found to be dominated by Ni-d. The Stoner factor is low while
the electron-phonon coupling constant is estimated to be about 0.7, which
suggests that the material is a conventional type of superconductor where T$_C$
is not affected by magnetic interactions. However, the proximity of the Fermi
energy to a large peak in the density of states in conjunction with the
reported non-stoichiometry of the compound, has consequences for the stability
of the results.
