Canadian National Railway Co. vs Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. — how do they compare? Canadian National Railway Co. trades at $126.3 (market cap $76.28B), while Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. trades at $183.14 (market cap $42.71B). The key difference: Canadian National Railway Co. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Canadian National Railway Co. pays a 2.06% dividend while Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNI | LYV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.28B | $42.71B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $130.58 | $186.59 |
52-Week Low | $90.91 | $125.61 |
Enterprise Value | $92.31B | $44.92B |
Dividend Yield | 2.06% | — |
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.
Live Nation (LYV) trades at $185.71, up 0.58% with strong bullish technical signals from moving averages. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a high P/E of 117.49 but beat Q2 2026 earnings expectations. Revenue growth remains robust at $25.2B in 2025, though net margins are thin at 0.51%. Recent insider sales and legal concerns create headwinds despite analyst optimism.
Outlook remains cautiously optimistic with 87% analyst buy ratings and a $209.54 price target suggesting 13% upside. Key risks include elevated valuation, debt levels, and regulatory scrutiny. The company's dominant live events position and strong demand provide growth catalysts, but execution on cost management will be critical for profitability improvement.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Live Nation is the largest live entertainment firm in the world with over 570 million fans served in 44 countries in 2018 by the company's concert and ticketing platforms. Via either owning, operating, or holding exclusive booking rights, Live Nation controls over 235 venues including the House of Blues, the Hollywood Palladium, and Spark Arena in New Zealand. Live Nation also owns one of the largest ticketing services, Ticketmaster, which sold over 480 million tickets for over 12,000 clients in 2018. The firm's artist management agencies have over 400 clients. This large live entertainment footprint helped Live Nation become one of the largest advertising and sponsorship platforms aimed at music fans. Liberty Media owns 33% of Live Nation, held under its SiriusXM tracking stock.
Read more on LYV →