Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) vs United Rentals, Inc. (URI)

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

Compare

Total returnCNI vs URI

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y
CNI +144.4% (+9.3%/yr)URI +1392.5% (+31.0%/yr)URI compounded faster over this window
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $10020182020202220242026$244$1,492
CNI URI

CNI vs URI: by the numbers

  • CNI is the larger company ($76.41B vs $70.29B market cap).
  • CNI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (22.61 vs 27.69 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
  • CNI converts more revenue to profit (26.92% vs 15.67% net margin).
  • URI grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.83% vs 2.73% CAGR).
  • CNI pays the higher dividend yield (2.07% vs 0.66%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricCNIURI
P/E ratio22.6127.69
Forward P/E15.3723.28
P/S ratio6.024.32
P/B ratio4.987.89
EV / EBITDA14.9913.13
FCF yield3.32%0.87%

Profitability

MetricCNIURI
Gross margin44.43%37.07%
Operating margin37.54%24.79%
Net margin26.92%15.67%
ROE22.25%28.60%
ROIC8.90%10.75%

Dividends

MetricCNIURI
Dividend yield2.07%0.66%
Payout ratio47.41%19.43%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCNIURI
Revenue CAGR (5Y)2.73%13.83%
EPS CAGR (5Y)6.99%25.88%
FCF CAGR (5Y)-0.98%-11.55%
Total return CAGR (5Y)5.32%27.11%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CNI or URI?
CNI has the lower trailing P/E: CNI trades at 22.61 and URI at 27.69. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CNI or URI?
Over the past five years, URI grew revenue faster — CNI at a 2.73% CAGR versus URI at 13.83%.
Does CNI or URI pay a bigger dividend?
CNI yields 2.07% and URI yields 0.66% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CNI or URI more profitable?
CNI runs the higher net margin — CNI at 26.92% versus URI at 15.67%.
How have CNI and URI total returns compared?
Over the past 10 years, CNI delivered 9.27% and URI delivered 31.14% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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 August 13, 2026.