Canadian National Railway (CNI) vs Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Canadian National Railway (CNI) has outperformed Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) over the past year, gaining 19.4% versus a gain of 7.6%. Over five years, CP leads with a +14.8% price change compared with -5.7% for CNI. Canadian Pacific Kansas City is the larger company by market cap ($74.15 billion vs $70.58 billion), about 1.1 times the size.
On valuation, Canadian National Railway trades at a lower forward P/E (18.5x vs 20.0x for Canadian Pacific Kansas City). Canadian National Railway offers the higher dividend yield (3.09% vs 1.13%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CNI | CP |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $116.84 | $84.35 |
| Market cap | $70.58B | $74.15B |
| 1-day change | +0.94% | +0.86% |
| YTD return | +17.10% | +13.58% |
| 1-year return | +19.40% | +7.59% |
| 5-year return | -5.66% | +14.80% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 20.72 | 27.12 |
| Forward P/E | 18.49 | 20.05 |
| EPS (TTM) | $5.64 | $3.11 |
| Dividend yield | 3.09% | 1.13% |
| Annual dividend | $3.61 | $0.952 |
| 52-week high | $131.55 | $96.90 |
| 52-week low | $90.74 | $68.42 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -11.18% | -12.95% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +15.47% | +16.63% |
| Average volume | 1.41M | 2.40M |
| Shares outstanding | 604.10M | 879.08M |
| Employees | 23,825 | 19,687 |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Railroads | Railroads |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- CNI has outperformed CP by 11.8 percentage points over the past year.
- Canadian Pacific Kansas City trades at a higher earnings multiple (27.1x vs 20.7x trailing P/E).
- Canadian National Railway offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.09% vs 1.13%).
About Canadian National Railway
CNI stock →Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and related transportation businesses in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, customs brokerage, transloading and warehousing, business development, dimensional loads, and private railcar storage, less-than-truckload, and mexico services; intermodal services, such as temperature controlled multimodal, mobile transport trays, port partnerships, transloading and distribution, logistics parks, trucking, and supply chain services.
Industrials · Railroads · 23,825 employees
About Canadian Pacific Kansas City
CP stock →Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; merchandise freight consists of industrial and consumer products, such as forest products, energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals, consumer products, and automotive; and intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers.
Industrials · Railroads · 19,687 employees
CNI vs CP FAQ
Which is bigger, Canadian National Railway or Canadian Pacific Kansas City?
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) is larger, with a market capitalization of $74.15B compared with $70.58B for Canadian National Railway (CNI).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CNI or CP?
CNI returned +19.40% over the past 12 months, compared with +7.59% for CP (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CNI or CP?
CNI has the lower trailing P/E at 20.7, versus 27.1 for CP. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Canadian National Railway or Canadian Pacific Kansas City?
Canadian National Railway has the higher yield at 3.09%, compared with 1.13% for Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
Are Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Railroads industry within the Industrials sector.