Norfolk Southern [NSC] vs Canadian National [CNI] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Norfolk Southern Corporation wins in 5 metrics, Canadian National Railway Company wins in 15 metrics, with 0 ties. Canadian National Railway Company appears stronger overall.

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Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Norfolk Southern Corporation Canadian National Railway Company Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 23.70 20.59 Canadian National Railway Company
Price-to-Book Ratio 4.36 4.45 Norfolk Southern Corporation
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 114.74 100.29 Canadian National Railway Company
PEG Ratio -2.08 1.78 Canadian National Railway Company
EV/EBITDA 15.04 10.04 Canadian National Railway Company
Profit Margin (TTM) 23.59% 27.28% Canadian National Railway Company
Operating Margin (TTM) 31.17% 42.41% Canadian National Railway Company
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 31.17% 42.41% Canadian National Railway Company
Return on Equity 19.25% 22.15% Canadian National Railway Company
Return on Assets (TTM) 5.91% 7.70% Canadian National Railway Company
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $2.16B $3.39B Canadian National Railway Company
Dividend Yield 1.76% 1.84% Canadian National Railway Company
1-Year Return 26.27% 14.66% Norfolk Southern Corporation
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 5.57 4.03 Canadian National Railway Company
Enterprise Value $84.18B $66.56B Norfolk Southern Corporation
EV/Revenue Ratio 6.91 5.26 Canadian National Railway Company
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 32.58% 43.93% Canadian National Railway Company
Revenue per Share (TTM) $54 $28 Norfolk Southern Corporation
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $12.75 $5.54 Norfolk Southern Corporation
Beta (Stock Volatility) 1.31 0.96 Canadian National Railway Company
Short % of Float 3.77% N/A N/A

Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Canadian National Railway Company Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Norfolk Southern Corporation-1.16%0.11%-1.79%6.74%3.60%7.80%
Canadian National Railway Company0.63%3.72%12.30%16.99%32.76%28.64%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Norfolk Southern Corporation26.27%40.05%20.07%268.48%342.31%522.59%
Canadian National Railway Company14.66%0.03%13.66%103.77%215.43%464.96%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Canadian National Railway Company

MetricNSCCNI
Market Information
Market Cap i$72.19B$69.82B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i1,338,8871,164,576
90 Day Avg. Volume i1,337,0791,479,359
Last Close$310.28$129.03
52 Week Range$248.82 - $326.00$90.74 - $129.53
% from 52W High-4.82%-0.39%
All-Time High$326.00 (May 27, 2026)$137.19 (Mar 28, 2022)
% from All-Time High-4.82%-5.95%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth-0.02%0.02%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.12%0.09%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.24%0.27%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.31%0.42%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.19%0.22%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i114.74100.29
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$69.28$25.66
Cash per Share (MRQ)$6.81$0.57
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$4.36B$5.16B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.45B$1.74B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.76%1.84%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$5.40$1.96

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Canadian National Railway Company

MetricNSC (Apr 24, 2026)CNI (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i23.7020.59
Forward P/E i22.5617.77
PEG Ratio i-2.081.78
Price to Sales (TTM) i5.574.03
Price to Book (MRQ) i4.364.45
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$72.19B$69.82B
Enterprise Value i$84.18B$66.56B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i6.915.26
Enterprise to EBITDA i15.0410.04
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.310.96
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$69.28$25.66

Financial Statements Comparison: Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Canadian National Railway Company

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricNSC (2025)CNI (2025)
Revenue/Sales i12.18B17.30B
Cost of Goods Sold i7.75B9.97B
COGS % of Revenue i63.7%57.6%
Gross Profit i4.43B7.33B
Gross Margin i36.3%42.4%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i4.57B6.59B
Operating Margin i37.5%38.1%
EBITDA i5.96B9.04B
EBITDA Margin i48.9%52.2%
Pre-Tax Income i3.67B6.26B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i30.1%36.2%
Income Tax i792.00M1.54B
Income Tax % of Revenue i6.5%8.9%
Net Income (Profit) i2.87B4.72B
Profit Margin i23.6%27.3%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricNSC (2025)CNI (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i1.53B350.00M
Total Current Assets i3.20B2.47B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i26.3%14.3%
Total Current Liabilities i3.78B3.70B
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i31.0%21.4%
Long-Term Debt i16.63B20.62B
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i136.5%119.1%
Total Shareholders Equity i15.55B21.57B
Retained Earnings i13.24B18.92B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i108.7%109.3%
Property, Plant & Equipment i11.50B62.25B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricNSC (2025)CNI (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i4.61B7.46B
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i37.9%43.1%
Capital Expenditures i-2.04B-3.66B
Free Cash Flow i2.16B3.39B
FCF Margin i17.7%19.6%
Debt Repayment i-559.00M-26.53B
Common Stock Repurchase i-534.00M-2.12B

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricNSCCNI
Shares Short i8.47M5.24M
Short Ratio i6.541.15
Short % of Float i3.77%N/A
Shares Outstanding i224.42M613.33M
Float Shares i224.20M594.37M
% Held by Insiders i0.08%2.67%
% Held by Institutions i78.52%75.29%
% Held by Public i21.40%22.04%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Canadian National Railway Company

MetricNSCCNI
Last 12-Month Dividend i$5.40$1.96
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.76%1.84%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$5.40$2.27
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.55%0.57%
3-Year Total Dividends i$16.20$6.80
Ex-Dividend DateFeb 06, 2026Mar 10, 2026