Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) vs Emerson Electric Co. (EMR)
CNI leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Canadian National Railway Company and Emerson Electric Co. 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
EMR
Emerson Electric Co.
$143.49Industrials
Total return — CNI vs EMR
growth of $100 · last 30yCNI +3655.8%EMR +483.5%CNI compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
CNI EMR
CNI vs EMR: by the numbers
- •EMR is the larger company ($80.37B vs $73.13B market cap).
- •CNI trades at the lower earnings multiple (21.88 vs 33.14 P/E).
- •CNI converts more revenue to profit (27.22% vs 13.35% net margin).
- •CNI grew revenue faster over the past five years (3.41% vs 1.43% CAGR).
- •CNI pays the higher dividend yield (2.17% vs 1.55%).
Which is better, CNI or EMR?
Metric tally: CNI 11 · EMR 6It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueCNI(lower P/E)
GrowthCNI(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCNI(higher dividend yield)
QualityCNI(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CNI | EMR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 21.88● | 33.14 |
| Forward P/E | 13.78● | 19.97 |
| P/S ratio | 5.88 | 4.41● |
| P/B ratio | 4.77 | 3.98● |
| PEG ratio | 2.29 | 1.78● |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.61● | 18.12 |
| FCF yield | 3.51% | 3.86%● |
Profitability
| Metric | CNI | EMR |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 44.21% | 52.66%● |
| Operating margin | 37.76%● | 19.96% |
| Net margin | 27.22%● | 13.35% |
| ROE | 22.07%● | 12.04% |
| ROIC | 8.90%● | 7.26% |
Dividends
| Metric | CNI | EMR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.17%● | 1.55% |
| Payout ratio | 47.56% | 54.55% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CNI | EMR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 3.41%● | 1.43% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 6.99%● | 4.54% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 0.73%● | -0.23% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 4.67% | 10.57%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, CNI or EMR?
- It depends on your goal. value: CNI (lower P/E); growth: CNI (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CNI (higher dividend yield); quality: CNI (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CNI leads 11 to 6.
- Is CNI or EMR cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, CNI is cheaper: CNI trades at a 21.88 P/E and EMR at 33.14.
- Which has grown faster, CNI or EMR?
- Over the past five years, CNI grew revenue faster — CNI at a 3.41% CAGR versus EMR at 1.43%.
- Does CNI or EMR pay a bigger dividend?
- CNI yields 2.17% and EMR yields 1.55% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is CNI or EMR more profitable?
- CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 27.22% versus EMR at 13.35%.
- Which has been the better investment, CNI or EMR?
- Over the past 10-year, EMR delivered the higher annualized total return — CNI at 9.87% versus EMR at 13.73%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Canadian National Railway P/E ratioEmerson Electric P/E ratioCanadian National Railway dividend yieldEmerson Electric dividend yieldCanadian National Railway ROEEmerson Electric ROECanadian National Railway operating marginEmerson Electric operating marginCanadian National Railway revenue growthEmerson Electric revenue growthCanadian National Railway free cash flowEmerson Electric free cash flow
Canadian National Railway & Emerson Electric 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.