Is CP or NSC cheaper?

On trailing earnings, CP is cheaper: CP trades at a 24.74 P/E and NSC at 25.60.

Which has grown faster, CP or NSC?

Over the past five years, CP grew revenue faster — CP at a 15.26% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.

Does CP or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

CP yields 0.98% and NSC yields 1.78% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CP or NSC more profitable?

CP runs the higher net margin — CP at 26.86% versus NSC at 21.91%.

Which has been the better investment, CP or NSC?

Over the past 10-year, NSC delivered the higher annualized total return — CP at 14.38% versus NSC at 16.24%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CP) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

CP leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 26, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.

$77.27B

$87.04Industrials

NSC

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$68.24B

$303.82Industrials

Total return — CP vs NSC

growth of $100 · last 30y

CP +3794.5%NSC +963.1%CP compounded faster

CP NSC

CP vs NSC: by the numbers

•CP is the larger company ($77.27B vs $68.24B market cap).
•CP trades at the lower earnings multiple (24.74 vs 25.60 P/E).
•CP converts more revenue to profit (26.86% vs 21.91% net margin).
•CP grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.26% vs 4.45% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.78% vs 0.98%).

Which is better, CP or NSC?

Metric tally: CP 9 · NSC 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueCP(lower P/E)

GrowthCP(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeNSC(higher dividend yield)

QualityNSC(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CP	NSC
P/E ratio	24.74●	25.60
Forward P/E	14.70●	22.46
P/S ratio	6.56	5.61●
P/B ratio	2.33●	4.33
PEG ratio	1.65●	2.24
EV / EBITDA	14.53●	15.24
FCF yield	1.90%	5.59%●

Profitability

Metric	CP	NSC
Gross margin	46.67%●	45.31%
Operating margin	36.78%●	32.39%
Net margin	26.86%●	21.91%
ROE	9.56%	16.89%●
ROIC	5.09%	7.47%●

Dividends

Metric	CP	NSC
Dividend yield	0.98%	1.78%●
Payout ratio	25.83%	42.35%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CP	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	15.26%●	4.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.04%	10.10%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	8.84%	10.65%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	3.19%	4.94%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, CP or NSC?: It depends on your goal. value: CP (lower P/E); growth: CP (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: NSC (higher dividend yield); quality: NSC (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CP leads 9 to 8.
Is CP or NSC cheaper?: On trailing earnings, CP is cheaper: CP trades at a 24.74 P/E and NSC at 25.60.
Which has grown faster, CP or NSC?: Over the past five years, CP grew revenue faster — CP at a 15.26% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.
Does CP or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: CP yields 0.98% and NSC yields 1.78% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CP or NSC more profitable?: CP runs the higher net margin — CP at 26.86% versus NSC at 21.91%.
Which has been the better investment, CP or NSC?: Over the past 10-year, NSC delivered the higher annualized total return — CP at 14.38% versus NSC at 16.24%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CP analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Canadian Pacific Kansas City P/E ratio Norfolk Southern P/E ratio Canadian Pacific Kansas City dividend yield Norfolk Southern dividend yield Canadian Pacific Kansas City ROE Norfolk Southern ROE Canadian Pacific Kansas City operating margin Norfolk Southern operating margin Canadian Pacific Kansas City revenue growth Norfolk Southern revenue growth Canadian Pacific Kansas City free cash flow Norfolk Southern free cash flow

Canadian Pacific Kansas City & Norfolk Southern appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

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 26, 2026.