CNI vs. DAL: Canadian National Railway vs. Delta Air Lines Stock Comparison
How do Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but CNI is classified in Ground Transportation while DAL is classified in Passenger Airlines.
| Profile Item | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Canadian National Railway Co. | Delta Air Lines, Inc. |
| Country/Region | Canada | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Ground Transportation | Passenger Airlines |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Rail Transportation | Passenger Airlines |
| Market Capitalization | 74.40 billion USD | 57.37 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | November 26, 1996 | May 3, 2007 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 35.29% | 56.32% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 6.80% | 41.15% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.12% | 16.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 22.27% | 39.27% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.89 | 1.37 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.13% | -47.92% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.22M | 6.42M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.39 | 1.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.00 | 2.19 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 22.45% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 15.91% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CNI.
CNI
Transportation industry group
22.45%
- Max
- 45.08%
- CNI
- 22.45%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
DAL
Transportation industry group
15.91%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- DAL
- 15.91%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
Net Margin (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 26.42% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 4.58%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
CNI
Transportation industry group
26.42%
- Max
- 50.36%
- CNI
- 26.42%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
DAL
Transportation industry group
4.58%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- DAL
- 4.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 41.52% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 7.22%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
CNI
Transportation industry group
41.52%
- Max
- 59.18%
- CNI
- 41.52%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
DAL
Transportation industry group
7.22%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- DAL
- 7.22%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.45% | 15.91% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.87% | 3.95% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 26.42% | 4.58% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 41.52% | 7.22% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 55.44% | 17.90% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 1.51% and Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 2.79% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 43.71% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 7.99% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for DAL.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.51% | 2.79% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.38% | 7.80% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 7.99% | 43.71% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.58% | 54.92% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 0.82 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 0.40 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for DAL.
CNI
Transportation industry group
0.82
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- CNI
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
DAL
Transportation industry group
0.40
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- DAL
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 1.09 and Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 0.89 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
CNI
Transportation industry group
1.09
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- CNI
- 1.09
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
DAL
Transportation industry group
0.89
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- DAL
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.82 | 0.40 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.09 | 0.89 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.46 | 2.15 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 2.87% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 0.94% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, CNI the richer one.
CNI
Transportation industry group
2.87%
- Max
- 4.68%
- CNI
- 2.87%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DAL
Transportation industry group
0.94%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- DAL
- 0.94%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 15.52% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 45.63% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
CNI
Transportation industry group
45.63%
- Max
- 100.89%
- CNI
- 45.63%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DAL
Transportation industry group
15.52%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- DAL
- 15.52%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.87% | 0.94% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.63% | 15.52% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 21.61 and Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 17.41 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
CNI
Transportation industry group
21.61
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- CNI
- 21.61
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
DAL
Transportation industry group
17.41
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- DAL
- 17.41
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 0.80 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 4.05 sits in the pricier quartile — CNI costs more per dollar of sales.
CNI
Transportation industry group
4.05
- Max
- 4.35
- CNI
- 4.05
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
DAL
Transportation industry group
0.80
- Max
- 4.35
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- DAL
- 0.80
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Delta Air Lines (DAL) at 2.53 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 4.77 carries an above-peer premium to book — CNI is pricier on assets.
CNI
Transportation industry group
4.77
- Max
- 6.29
- CNI
- 4.77
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
DAL
Transportation industry group
2.53
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- DAL
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CNI | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 21.61 | 17.41 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.05 | 0.80 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.77 | 2.53 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.30% | 4.34% |