Canadian National Railway (CNI) vs Union Pacific (UNP)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 10, 2026.
Summary
Canadian National Railway (CNI) has outperformed Union Pacific (UNP) over the past year, gaining 23.4% versus a gain of 20.2%. Over five years, UNP leads with a +23.6% price change compared with -4.0% for CNI. Union Pacific is the larger company by market cap ($165.35 billion vs $71.15 billion), about 2.3 times the size.
On valuation, Canadian National Railway trades at a lower forward P/E (18.7x vs 19.6x for Union Pacific). Canadian National Railway offers the higher dividend yield (3.06% vs 1.98%).
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 | UNP |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $117.78 | $278.34 |
| Market cap | $71.15B | $165.35B |
| 1-day change | +0.80% | +0.05% |
| YTD return | +19.15% | +20.33% |
| 1-year return | +23.36% | +20.21% |
| 5-year return | -4.00% | +23.62% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 20.74 | 22.54 |
| Forward P/E | 18.69 | 19.57 |
| EPS (TTM) | $5.68 | $12.35 |
| Dividend yield | 3.06% | 1.98% |
| Annual dividend | $3.61 | $5.52 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | — | $24.51B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | +1.07% |
| Net income (latest FY) | — | $7.14B |
| Operating margin | — | 40.17% |
| Net margin | — | 29.12% |
| 52-week high | $131.55 | $315.99 |
| 52-week low | $90.74 | $215.53 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -10.47% | -11.91% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +14.54% | +17.90% |
| Average volume | 1.40M | 2.67M |
| Shares outstanding | 604.10M | 594.08M |
| Employees | 23,825 | 28,716 |
| 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
- Union Pacific is about 2.3 times larger than Canadian National Railway by market value ($165.35B vs $71.15B).
- Canadian National Railway offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.06% vs 1.98%).
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 Union Pacific
UNP stock →Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. It offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, and ethanol and renewable biofuel producers; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.
Industrials · Railroads · 28,716 employees
CNI vs UNP FAQ
Which is bigger, Canadian National Railway or Union Pacific?
Union Pacific (UNP) is larger, with a market capitalization of $165.35B compared with $71.15B for Canadian National Railway (CNI).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CNI or UNP?
CNI returned +23.36% over the past 12 months, compared with +20.21% for UNP (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CNI or UNP?
CNI has the lower trailing P/E at 20.7, versus 22.5 for UNP. 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 Union Pacific?
Canadian National Railway has the higher yield at 3.06%, compared with 1.98% for Union Pacific.
Are Canadian National Railway and Union Pacific in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Railroads industry within the Industrials sector.