Canadian National Railway Co. vs Hormel Foods Corp — how do they compare? Canadian National Railway Co. trades at $126.3 (market cap $76.28B), while Hormel Foods Corp trades at $24.3 (market cap $13.37B). The key difference: Canadian National Railway Co. is far larger — about 5.7× Hormel Foods Corp's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNI | HRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.28B | $13.37B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $130.58 | $29.25 |
52-Week Low | $90.91 | $19.74 |
Enterprise Value | $92.31B | $15.37B |
Dividend Yield | 2.06% | 4.81% |
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.
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $24.41, down 1.21% on the day, with a bearish technical outlook despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a P/E of 28.6x and modest 3.8% net margin, while revenue has been stable around $12B annually. Recent corporate developments include the appointment of John Ghingo as CEO and the sale of its Brazilian CERATTI business, signaling strategic refocusing.
HRL offers defensive appeal with consistent dividends and a 4.6% yield, but faces margin pressure and modest growth prospects. Analyst consensus is Hold with a $26.33 price target, suggesting limited upside. Key risks include consumer spending sensitivity and execution challenges under new leadership.
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 →Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →