Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) vs United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS)
UPS leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Norfolk Southern Corporation and United Parcel Service, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
NSC
Norfolk Southern Corporation
$313.91Industrials
UPS
United Parcel Service, Inc.
$108.10Industrials
Total return — NSC vs UPS
growth of $100 · last 27yNSC +1221.7%UPS +58.7%NSC compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
NSC UPS
NSC vs UPS: by the numbers
- •UPS is the larger company ($91.89B vs $70.50B market cap).
- •UPS trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.49 vs 26.45 P/E).
- •NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.91% vs 5.94% net margin).
- •NSC grew revenue faster over the past five years (4.45% vs -0.23% CAGR).
- •UPS pays the higher dividend yield (6.07% vs 1.72%).
Which is better, NSC or UPS?
Metric tally: NSC 8 · UPS 9It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueUPS(lower P/E)
GrowthNSC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeUPS(higher dividend yield)
QualityUPS(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | NSC | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 26.45 | 17.49● |
| Forward P/E | 23.20 | 13.63● |
| P/S ratio | 5.80 | 1.04● |
| P/B ratio | 4.47● | 5.83 |
| PEG ratio | 2.24 | 0.52● |
| EV / EBITDA | 15.65 | 9.85● |
| FCF yield | 5.41%● | 4.91% |
Profitability
| Metric | NSC | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 45.31%● | 17.79% |
| Operating margin | 32.39%● | 8.46% |
| Net margin | 21.91%● | 5.94% |
| ROE | 16.89% | 33.30%● |
| ROIC | 7.47% | 10.40%● |
Dividends
| Metric | NSC | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.72% | 6.07%● |
| Payout ratio | 42.35% | 100.00% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | NSC | UPS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 4.45%● | -0.23% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 10.10% | 33.45%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 10.65%● | -8.72% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 5.11%● | -7.79% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, NSC or UPS?
- It depends on your goal. value: UPS (lower P/E); growth: NSC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: UPS (higher dividend yield); quality: UPS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UPS leads 9 to 8.
- Is NSC or UPS cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, UPS is cheaper: NSC trades at a 26.45 P/E and UPS at 17.49.
- Which has grown faster, NSC or UPS?
- Over the past five years, NSC grew revenue faster — NSC at a 4.45% CAGR versus UPS at -0.23%.
- Does NSC or UPS pay a bigger dividend?
- NSC yields 1.72% and UPS yields 6.07% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is NSC or UPS more profitable?
- NSC runs the higher net margin — NSC at 21.91% versus UPS at 5.94%.
- Which has been the better investment, NSC or UPS?
- Over the past 10-year, NSC delivered the higher annualized total return — NSC at 16.41% versus UPS at 4.22%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Norfolk Southern P/E ratioUnited Parcel Service P/E ratioNorfolk Southern dividend yieldUnited Parcel Service dividend yieldNorfolk Southern ROEUnited Parcel Service ROENorfolk Southern operating marginUnited Parcel Service operating marginNorfolk Southern revenue growthUnited Parcel Service revenue growthNorfolk Southern free cash flowUnited Parcel Service free cash flow
Norfolk Southern & 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 June 15, 2026.