Canadian National Railway Co. vs Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Canadian National Railway Co. trades at $126.3 (market cap $76.28B), while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF trades at $381.92. The key difference: Canadian National Railway Co. pays a 2.06% dividend while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF pays none, and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Canadian National Railway Co. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNI | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.28B | — |
Sector | Industrials | — |
52-Week High | $130.58 | $381.78 |
52-Week Low | $90.91 | $311.68 |
Enterprise Value | $92.31B | — |
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.
VTI trades at $381.83, up 0.05% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong institutional inflows. The ETF's 0.03% expense ratio and over 3,500 holdings provide broad U.S. equity exposure. Recent dividend of $1.04 was declared for June 2026.
Outlook remains positive due to low-cost diversification and steady institutional demand. Risks include market volatility and concentration in large-cap tech. Long-term growth potential is supported by historical performance but requires monitoring of economic conditions.
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 →The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the index, which represents approximately 100% of the investable US stock market and includes large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks. It invests by sampling the index, meaning that it holds a broadly diversified collection of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full index in terms of key characteristics.
Read more on VTI →