Which has the lower trailing P/E, CTAS or NSC?

NSC has the lower trailing P/E: CTAS trades at 38.07 and NSC at 27.09. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CTAS or NSC?

Over the past five years, CTAS grew revenue faster — CTAS at a 9.73% CAGR versus NSC at 3.58%.

Does CTAS or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

CTAS yields 0.97% and NSC yields 1.70% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CTAS or NSC more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — CTAS at 17.82% versus NSC at 21.02%.

How have CTAS and NSC total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CTAS delivered 22.54% and NSC delivered 14.85% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Cintas Corporation (CTAS) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

A side-by-side comparison of Cintas Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 3, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CTAS

Cintas Corporation

$77.24B

$193.02IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NSC

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$71.30B

$317.44IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:01 PM EDT

Total return — CTAS vs NSC

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CTAS +672.7% (+22.7%/yr)NSC +304.7% (+15.0%/yr)CTAS compounded faster over this window

CTAS NSC

CTAS vs NSC: by the numbers

•CTAS is the larger company ($77.24B vs $71.30B market cap).
•NSC trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (27.09 vs 38.07 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.02% vs 17.82% net margin).
•CTAS grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.73% vs 3.58% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.70% vs 0.97%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CTAS	NSC
P/E ratio	38.07	27.09
Forward P/E	34.81	24.52
PEG ratio	2.74	2.65
P/S ratio	6.68	5.69
P/B ratio	14.84	4.39
EV / EBITDA	24.79	16.17
FCF yield	2.63%	2.29%

Profitability

Metric	CTAS	NSC
Gross margin	50.99%	42.43%
Operating margin	23.36%	31.63%
Net margin	17.82%	21.02%
ROE	39.59%	16.22%
ROIC	23.93%	7.33%

Dividends

Metric	CTAS	NSC
Dividend yield	0.97%	1.70%
Payout ratio	36.88%	46.08%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CTAS	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.73%	3.58%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	13.58%	10.10%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	12.09%	0.13%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	15.86%	7.66%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CTAS or NSC?: NSC has the lower trailing P/E: CTAS trades at 38.07 and NSC at 27.09. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CTAS or NSC?: Over the past five years, CTAS grew revenue faster — CTAS at a 9.73% CAGR versus NSC at 3.58%.
Does CTAS or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: CTAS yields 0.97% and NSC yields 1.70% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CTAS or NSC more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — CTAS at 17.82% versus NSC at 21.02%.
How have CTAS and NSC total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CTAS delivered 22.54% and NSC delivered 14.85% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CTAS analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Cintas P/E ratio Norfolk Southern P/E ratio Cintas dividend yield Norfolk Southern dividend yield Cintas ROE Norfolk Southern ROE Cintas operating margin Norfolk Southern operating margin Cintas revenue growth Norfolk Southern revenue growth Cintas free cash flow Norfolk Southern free cash flow

Cintas & Norfolk Southern appear in these rankings

Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest 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 October 3, 2026.