Which has the lower trailing P/E, CNI or ITW?

CNI has the lower trailing P/E: CNI trades at 21.65 and ITW at 24.87. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CNI or ITW?

Over the past five years, ITW grew revenue faster — CNI at a 2.73% CAGR versus ITW at 3.30%.

Does CNI or ITW pay a bigger dividend?

CNI yields 2.14% and ITW yields 2.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CNI or ITW more profitable?

CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 26.92% versus ITW at 19.39%.

How have CNI and ITW total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CNI delivered 9.08% and ITW delivered 11.35% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) vs Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)

A side-by-side comparison of Canadian National Railway Company and Illinois Tool Works Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CNI

Canadian National Railway Company

$73.15B

$120.93IndustrialsDelayed quote: Sep 25, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

ITW

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

$78.92B

$274.32IndustrialsDelayed quote: Sep 25, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CNI vs ITW

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CNI +136.7% (+9.0%/yr)ITW +185.1% (+11.0%/yr)ITW compounded faster over this window

CNI ITW

CNI vs ITW: by the numbers

•ITW is the larger company ($78.92B vs $73.15B market cap).
•CNI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (21.65 vs 24.87 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CNI converts more revenue to profit (26.92% vs 19.39% net margin).
•ITW grew revenue faster over the past five years (3.30% vs 2.73% CAGR).
•ITW pays the higher dividend yield (2.40% vs 2.14%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CNI	ITW
P/E ratio	21.65	24.87
Forward P/E	N/A	24.00
P/S ratio	5.74	4.79
P/B ratio	4.74	27.27
EV / EBITDA	14.41	18.76
FCF yield	3.48%	3.70%

Profitability

Metric	CNI	ITW
Gross margin	44.43%	44.16%
Operating margin	37.54%	26.50%
Net margin	26.92%	19.39%
ROE	22.25%	110.37%
ROIC	8.89%	24.71%

Dividends

Metric	CNI	ITW
Dividend yield	2.14%	2.40%
Payout ratio	46.78%	58.39%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CNI	ITW
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	2.73%	3.30%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	7.04%	9.58%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-0.98%	4.41%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	2.72%	6.63%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CNI or ITW?: CNI has the lower trailing P/E: CNI trades at 21.65 and ITW at 24.87. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CNI or ITW?: Over the past five years, ITW grew revenue faster — CNI at a 2.73% CAGR versus ITW at 3.30%.
Does CNI or ITW pay a bigger dividend?: CNI yields 2.14% and ITW yields 2.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CNI or ITW more profitable?: CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 26.92% versus ITW at 19.39%.
How have CNI and ITW total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CNI delivered 9.08% and ITW delivered 11.35% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CNI analysis Full ITW analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Canadian National Railway P/E ratio Illinois Tool Works P/E ratio Canadian National Railway dividend yield Illinois Tool Works dividend yield Canadian National Railway ROE Illinois Tool Works ROE Canadian National Railway operating margin Illinois Tool Works operating margin Canadian National Railway revenue growth Illinois Tool Works revenue growth Canadian National Railway free cash flow Illinois Tool Works free cash flow

Canadian National Railway & Illinois Tool Works appear in these rankings

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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 September 13, 2026.