Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) vs United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS)
UPS leads on 9 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Canadian National Railway Company and United Parcel Service, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 9, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
CNI
Canadian National Railway Company
$124.34Industrials
UPS
United Parcel Service, Inc.
$110.74Industrials
Total return — CNI vs UPS
growth of $100 · last 27yCNI +2206.0%UPS +61.4%CNI compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
CNI UPS
CNI vs UPS: by the numbers
- •UPS is the larger company ($82.68B vs $75.42B market cap).
- •UPS trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.79 vs 22.27 P/E).
- •CNI converts more revenue to profit (27.22% vs 5.94% net margin).
- •CNI grew revenue faster over the past five years (3.41% vs -0.23% CAGR).
- •UPS pays the higher dividend yield (5.97% vs 2.14%).
Which is better, CNI or UPS?
Metric tally: CNI 7 · UPS 9It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueUPS(lower P/E)
GrowthCNI(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeUPS(higher dividend yield)
QualityUPS(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CNI | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 22.27 | 17.79● |
| Forward P/E | 15.56 | 15.49 |
| P/S ratio | 5.99 | 1.06● |
| P/B ratio | 4.86● | 5.93 |
| PEG ratio | 2.29 | 0.53● |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.82 | 10.30● |
| FCF yield | 3.45% | 4.83%● |
Profitability
| Metric | CNI | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 44.21%● | 17.79% |
| Operating margin | 37.76%● | 8.46% |
| Net margin | 27.22%● | 5.94% |
| ROE | 22.07% | 33.30%● |
| ROIC | 8.90% | 10.40%● |
Dividends
| Metric | CNI | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.14% | 5.97%● |
| Payout ratio | 47.56% | 100.00% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CNI | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 3.41%● | -0.23% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 6.99% | 33.45%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 0.73%● | -8.72% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 5.29%● | -8.27% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, CNI or UPS?
- It depends on your goal. value: UPS (lower P/E); growth: CNI (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: UPS (higher dividend yield); quality: UPS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UPS leads 9 to 7.
- Is CNI or UPS cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, UPS is cheaper: CNI trades at a 22.27 P/E and UPS at 17.79.
- Which has grown faster, CNI or UPS?
- Over the past five years, CNI grew revenue faster — CNI at a 3.41% CAGR versus UPS at -0.23%.
- Does CNI or UPS pay a bigger dividend?
- CNI yields 2.14% and UPS yields 5.97% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is CNI or UPS more profitable?
- CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 27.22% versus UPS at 5.94%.
- Which has been the better investment, CNI or UPS?
- Over the past 10-year, CNI delivered the higher annualized total return — CNI at 9.52% versus UPS at 3.92%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Canadian National Railway P/E ratioUnited Parcel Service P/E ratioCanadian National Railway dividend yieldUnited Parcel Service dividend yieldCanadian National Railway ROEUnited Parcel Service ROECanadian National Railway operating marginUnited Parcel Service operating marginCanadian National Railway revenue growthUnited Parcel Service revenue growthCanadian National Railway free cash flowUnited Parcel Service free cash flow
Canadian National Railway & United Parcel Service 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 July 9, 2026.