Canadian National Railway (CNI) vs Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) has outperformed Canadian National Railway (CNI) over the past year, gaining 40.8% versus a gain of 21.3%. Over five years, WAB leads with a +205.2% price change compared with -4.8% for CNI. Canadian National Railway is the larger company by market cap ($70.58 billion vs $47.43 billion), about 1.5 times the size.
On valuation, Canadian National Railway trades at a lower forward P/E (18.5x vs 22.5x for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies). Canadian National Railway offers the higher dividend yield (3.09% vs 0.40%).
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 | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $116.84 | $280.80 |
| Market cap | $70.58B | $47.43B |
| 1-day change | +0.94% | -0.58% |
| YTD return | +18.20% | +31.55% |
| 1-year return | +21.25% | +40.77% |
| 5-year return | -4.77% | +205.22% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 20.72 | 37.74 |
| Forward P/E | 18.55 | 22.49 |
| EPS (TTM) | $5.64 | $7.44 |
| Dividend yield | 3.09% | 0.40% |
| Annual dividend | $3.61 | $1.12 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | — | $11.17B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | +7.51% |
| Net income (latest FY) | — | $1.17B |
| Gross margin | — | 34.08% |
| Operating margin | — | 16.06% |
| Net margin | — | 10.48% |
| 52-week high | $131.55 | $306.64 |
| 52-week low | $90.74 | $186.06 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -11.18% | -8.43% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +15.47% | +17.37% |
| Average volume | 1.41M | 906.46K |
| Shares outstanding | 604.10M | 168.91M |
| Employees | 23,825 | 31,000 |
| 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
- WAB has outperformed CNI by 19.5 percentage points over the past year.
- Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies trades at a higher earnings multiple (37.7x vs 20.7x trailing P/E).
- Canadian National Railway offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.09% vs 0.40%).
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 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies
WAB stock →Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation provides locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. It operates in two segments, Freight and Transit.
Industrials · Railroads · 31,000 employees
CNI vs WAB FAQ
Which is bigger, Canadian National Railway or Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies?
Canadian National Railway (CNI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $70.58B compared with $47.43B for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CNI or WAB?
WAB returned +40.77% over the past 12 months, compared with +21.25% for CNI (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CNI or WAB?
CNI has the lower trailing P/E at 20.7, versus 37.7 for WAB. 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 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies?
Canadian National Railway has the higher yield at 3.09%, compared with 0.40% for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies.
Are Canadian National Railway and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Railroads industry within the Industrials sector.