Canadian National Railway Co. vs Gilead Sciences, Inc. — how do they compare? Canadian National Railway Co. trades at $126.3 (market cap $76.28B), while Gilead Sciences, Inc. trades at $136.32 (market cap $168.35B). The key difference: Gilead Sciences, Inc. is far larger — about 2.2× Canadian National Railway Co.'s market cap, and Gilead Sciences, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.42%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNI | GILD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.28B | $168.35B |
Sector | Industrials | Health |
52-Week High | $130.58 | $155.80 |
52-Week Low | $90.91 | $110.56 |
Enterprise Value | $92.31B | $191.42B |
Dividend Yield | 2.06% | 2.42% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CNI trades at $126.29, up 0.91% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $1.50, and raised its full-year guidance, driven by record grain volumes and operational efficiency. Financials show solid profitability with a net income margin of 26.92% and ROE of 22.02%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 22.62 appear elevated.
The outlook is positive due to robust operational performance and raised guidance, but risks include stretched valuation, economic sensitivity, and competitive pressures. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $152.38 price target, implying potential upside, though recent downgrades highlight valuation concerns.
Gilead Sciences (GILD) trades at $135.78, up 2.04% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and strong support at $134. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat revenue estimates despite a net loss, driven by 10% base business growth from HIV drugs like Biktarvy. The company raised its full-year sales outlook, but faces a negative net income margin of -10.64% and elevated debt levels.
The outlook is mixed: robust HIV franchise growth and a 67% analyst buy rating support upside to the $151.22 consensus target, but acquisition costs, patent cliff risks, and volatile cash flows pose challenges. Investment appeal hinges on pipeline execution offsetting margin pressure.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Canadian National's railway spans Canada from coast to coast and extends through Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2019, CN delivered almost 6 million carloads over its 19,600 miles of track. CN generated roughly CAD 14 billion in total revenue by hauling intermodal containers (25% of consolidated revenue), petroleum and chemicals (21%), grain and fertilizers (16%), forest products (12%), metals and mining (11%), automotive shipments (6%), and coal (4%). Other items constitute the remaining revenue.
Read more on CNI →Gilead Sciences develops and markets therapies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, with the core of its portfolio focused on HIV and hepatitis B and C. The acquisitions of Corus Pharma, Myogen, CV Therapeutics, Arresto Biosciences, and Calistoga have broadened this focus to include pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Gilead's acquisition of Pharmasset brought rights to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, which is also part of combination drug Harvoni, and the Kite, Forty Seven, and Immunomedics acquisitions boost Gilead's exposure to cell therapy and noncell therapy in oncology.
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