Canadian National Railway Co. vs Royal Bank of Canada — how do they compare? Canadian National Railway Co. trades at $126.3 (market cap $75.59B), while Royal Bank of Canada trades at $210.44 (market cap $292.92B). The key difference: Royal Bank of Canada is far larger — about 3.9× Canadian National Railway Co.'s market cap, and Royal Bank of Canada pays the higher dividend (2.36%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNI | RY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $75.59B | $292.92B |
Sector | Industrials | Financials |
52-Week High | $130.58 | $217.87 |
52-Week Low | $90.91 | $134.80 |
Enterprise Value | $91.60B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.08% | 2.36% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Canadian National Railway (CNI) trades at $126.60, up 0.16% with neutral technical signals. The company reported strong Q2 2026 results with EPS of $1.50 beating estimates by 7.9% and raised full-year guidance. Fundamentals show solid profitability with 26.92% net margin and 22.02% ROE, though valuation appears elevated at 22.77 P/E. Recent news highlights record grain movements and over 300 customer growth projects across CN's network.
CNI presents a mixed outlook with strong operational execution offset by valuation concerns. The 20% upside to consensus price target of $152.38 offers potential, but debt levels rising to 36.61% of assets and competitive pressures warrant caution. Earnings consistency remains key with Q3 results pending.
Royal Bank of Canada (RY) trades at $211.08, down 0.17% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral stance from oscillators. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.84 exceeding expectations. Revenue grew to $66.53B in 2025, and net income margin improved to 31.85%. Analyst consensus is mixed, with 43% buy ratings, while recent news highlights insider selling and institutional adjustments to holdings.
RY presents a solid investment case with robust profitability and consistent earnings outperformance, though valuation ratios like P/E of 19.23 and P/B of 3.17 suggest a premium. Risks include high debt levels and macroeconomic sensitivity, but the bullish technical trend and dividend yield support a cautiously optimistic outlook for long-term investors.
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 →Royal Bank of Canada is one of the two largest banks in Canada. It is a diversified financial services company, offering personal and commercial banking, wealth-management services, insurance, corporate banking, and capital markets services. The bank is concentrated in Canada, with additional operations in the U.S. and other countries.
Read more on RY →