Which has the lower trailing P/E, CMI or NSC?

CMI has the lower trailing P/E: CMI trades at 27.01 and NSC at 27.09. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CMI or NSC?

Over the past five years, CMI grew revenue faster — CMI at a 10.18% CAGR versus NSC at 3.58%.

Does CMI or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

CMI yields 1.55% and NSC yields 1.70% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CMI or NSC more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — CMI at 7.82% versus NSC at 21.02%.

How have CMI and NSC total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CMI delivered 18.18% and NSC delivered 14.85% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Cummins Inc. (CMI) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

A side-by-side comparison of Cummins Inc. and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 4, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CMI

Cummins Inc.

$72.90B

$528.32IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NSC

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$71.30B

$317.44IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:01 PM EDT

Total return — CMI vs NSC

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CMI +448.2% (+18.5%/yr)NSC +304.7% (+15.0%/yr)CMI compounded faster over this window

CMI NSC

CMI vs NSC: by the numbers

•CMI is the larger company ($72.90B vs $71.30B market cap).
•CMI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (27.01 vs 27.09 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.02% vs 7.82% net margin).
•CMI grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.18% vs 3.58% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.70% vs 1.55%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CMI	NSC
P/E ratio	27.01	27.09
Forward P/E	17.87	24.52
PEG ratio	2.39	2.65
P/S ratio	2.10	5.69
P/B ratio	5.67	4.39
EV / EBITDA	15.69	16.17
FCF yield	4.62%	2.29%

Profitability

Metric	CMI	NSC
Gross margin	25.32%	42.43%
Operating margin	11.13%	31.63%
Net margin	7.82%	21.02%
ROE	21.13%	16.22%
ROIC	10.95%	7.33%

Dividends

Metric	CMI	NSC
Dividend yield	1.55%	1.70%
Payout ratio	41.92%	46.08%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CMI	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	10.18%	3.58%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	11.31%	10.10%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	9.51%	0.13%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	21.04%	7.66%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CMI or NSC?: CMI has the lower trailing P/E: CMI trades at 27.01 and NSC at 27.09. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CMI or NSC?: Over the past five years, CMI grew revenue faster — CMI at a 10.18% CAGR versus NSC at 3.58%.
Does CMI or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: CMI yields 1.55% and NSC yields 1.70% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CMI or NSC more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — CMI at 7.82% versus NSC at 21.02%.
How have CMI and NSC total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CMI delivered 18.18% and NSC delivered 14.85% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CMI analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Cummins P/E ratio Norfolk Southern P/E ratio Cummins dividend yield Norfolk Southern dividend yield Cummins ROE Norfolk Southern ROE Cummins operating margin Norfolk Southern operating margin Cummins revenue growth Norfolk Southern revenue growth Cummins free cash flow Norfolk Southern free cash flow

Cummins & Norfolk Southern appear in these rankings

Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 4, 2026.