Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) vs Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CP)
CNI leads on 11 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Canadian National Railway Company and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
CNI
Canadian National Railway Company
$120.56Industrials
CP
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.
$87.73Industrials
Total return — CNI vs CP
growth of $100 · last 30yCNI +3655.8%CP +3137.3%CNI compounded faster
CNI CP
CNI vs CP: by the numbers
- •CP is the larger company ($77.88B vs $73.13B market cap).
- •CNI trades at the lower earnings multiple (21.88 vs 24.94 P/E).
- •CNI converts more revenue to profit (27.22% vs 26.86% net margin).
- •CP grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.26% vs 3.41% CAGR).
- •CNI pays the higher dividend yield (2.17% vs 0.86%).
Which is better, CNI or CP?
Metric tally: CNI 11 · CP 5It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueCNI(lower P/E)
GrowthCP(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCNI(higher dividend yield)
QualityCNI(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CNI | CP |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 21.88● | 24.94 |
| Forward P/E | 13.78● | 14.87 |
| P/S ratio | 5.88● | 6.61 |
| P/B ratio | 4.77 | 2.35● |
| PEG ratio | 2.29 | 1.65● |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.61● | 16.00 |
| FCF yield | 3.51%● | 1.89% |
Profitability
| Metric | CNI | CP |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 44.21% | 46.67%● |
| Operating margin | 37.76%● | 36.78% |
| Net margin | 27.22% | 26.86% |
| ROE | 22.07%● | 9.56% |
| ROIC | 8.90%● | 5.09% |
Dividends
| Metric | CNI | CP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.17%● | 0.86% |
| Payout ratio | 47.56% | 22.93% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CNI | CP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 3.41% | 15.26%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 6.99%● | 3.04% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 0.73% | 8.84%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 4.67%● | 3.40% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, CNI or CP?
- It depends on your goal. value: CNI (lower P/E); growth: CP (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CNI (higher dividend yield); quality: CNI (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CNI leads 11 to 5.
- Is CNI or CP cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, CNI is cheaper: CNI trades at a 21.88 P/E and CP at 24.94.
- Which has grown faster, CNI or CP?
- Over the past five years, CP grew revenue faster — CNI at a 3.41% CAGR versus CP at 15.26%.
- Does CNI or CP pay a bigger dividend?
- CNI yields 2.17% and CP yields 0.86% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is CNI or CP more profitable?
- CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 27.22% versus CP at 26.86%.
- Which has been the better investment, CNI or CP?
- Over the past 10-year, CP delivered the higher annualized total return — CNI at 9.87% versus CP at 14.49%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Canadian National Railway P/E ratioCanadian Pacific Kansas City P/E ratioCanadian National Railway dividend yieldCanadian Pacific Kansas City dividend yieldCanadian National Railway ROECanadian Pacific Kansas City ROECanadian National Railway operating marginCanadian Pacific Kansas City operating marginCanadian National Railway revenue growthCanadian Pacific Kansas City revenue growthCanadian National Railway free cash flowCanadian Pacific Kansas City free cash flow
Canadian National Railway & Canadian Pacific Kansas City appear in these rankings
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 June 28, 2026.