Is DAL or NSC cheaper?

On trailing earnings, DAL is cheaper: DAL trades at a 12.13 P/E and NSC at 26.45.

Which has grown faster, DAL or NSC?

Over the past five years, DAL grew revenue faster — DAL at a 38.80% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.

Does DAL or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

DAL yields 0.90% and NSC yields 1.72% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is DAL or NSC more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — DAL at 6.87% versus NSC at 21.91%.

Which has been the better investment, DAL or NSC?

Over the past 10-year, NSC delivered the higher annualized total return — DAL at 8.36% versus NSC at 16.41%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

DAL leads on 12 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Delta Air Lines, Inc. and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

DAL

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

$54.57B

$83.06Industrials

NSC

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$70.50B

$313.91Industrials

Total return — DAL vs NSC

growth of $100 · last 19y

DAL +264.5%NSC +464.4%NSC compounded faster

DAL NSC

DAL vs NSC: by the numbers

•NSC is the larger company ($70.50B vs $54.57B market cap).
•DAL trades at the lower earnings multiple (12.13 vs 26.45 P/E).
•NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.91% vs 6.87% net margin).
•DAL grew revenue faster over the past five years (38.80% vs 4.45% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.72% vs 0.90%).

Which is better, DAL or NSC?

Metric tally: DAL 12 · NSC 5

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueDAL(lower P/E)

GrowthDAL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeNSC(higher dividend yield)

QualityDAL(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	DAL	NSC
P/E ratio	12.13●	26.45
Forward P/E	15.17●	23.20
P/S ratio	0.83●	5.80
P/B ratio	2.66●	4.47
PEG ratio	0.21●	2.24
EV / EBITDA	6.95●	15.65
FCF yield	7.24%●	5.41%

Profitability

Metric	DAL	NSC
Gross margin	26.19%	45.31%●
Operating margin	8.83%	32.39%●
Net margin	6.87%	21.91%●
ROE	21.97%●	16.89%
ROIC	8.30%●	7.47%

Dividends

Metric	DAL	NSC
Dividend yield	0.90%	1.72%●
Payout ratio	9.72%	42.35%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	DAL	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	38.80%●	4.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	0.89%	10.10%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	115.85%●	10.65%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	13.04%●	5.11%

Frequently asked

Which is better, DAL or NSC?: It depends on your goal. value: DAL (lower P/E); growth: DAL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: NSC (higher dividend yield); quality: DAL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DAL leads 12 to 5.
Is DAL or NSC cheaper?: On trailing earnings, DAL is cheaper: DAL trades at a 12.13 P/E and NSC at 26.45.
Which has grown faster, DAL or NSC?: Over the past five years, DAL grew revenue faster — DAL at a 38.80% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.
Does DAL or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: DAL yields 0.90% and NSC yields 1.72% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is DAL or NSC more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — DAL at 6.87% versus NSC at 21.91%.
Which has been the better investment, DAL or NSC?: Over the past 10-year, NSC delivered the higher annualized total return — DAL at 8.36% versus NSC at 16.41%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full DAL analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Delta Air Lines & 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 14, 2026.