CNI vs. GRAB: Canadian National Railway vs. Grab Stock Comparison
How do Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Grab (GRAB) 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 Grab (GRAB) both belong to the Ground Transportation industry, though CNI is classified under Rail Transportation while GRAB falls under Passenger Ground Transportation.
Canadian National Railway (CNI) has more than two decades of public-market history since November 26, 1996, whereas Grab (GRAB) listed on December 1, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Canadian National Railway Co. | Grab Holdings Ltd. Class A |
| Country/Region | Canada | Singapore |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Ground Transportation | Ground Transportation |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Rail Transportation | Passenger Ground Transportation |
| Market Capitalization | 74.40 billion USD | 13.77 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | November 26, 1996 | December 1, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 35.29% | -38.94% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 6.80% | 1.05% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.12% | -26.29% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 22.27% | 39.77% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.89 | 0.74 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.13% | -86.46% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.22M | 61.91M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.39 | -1.09 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.00 | -1.55 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 22.45% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Grab (GRAB) at 7.64% 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%
GRAB
Transportation industry group
7.64%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- GRAB
- 7.64%
- 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 Grab (GRAB) at 14.79%, 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%
GRAB
Transportation industry group
14.79%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- GRAB
- 14.79%
- Median
- 5.58%
- 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 Grab (GRAB) at 10.07%, 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%
GRAB
Transportation industry group
10.07%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- GRAB
- 10.07%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.45% | 7.64% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.87% | 1.08% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 26.42% | 14.79% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 41.52% | 10.07% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 55.44% | 41.44% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Grab (GRAB) at 20.49% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 1.51% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GRAB.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Canadian National Railway (CNI) reports EPS growth of 7.99%, ranked against its industry; Grab (GRAB) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.51% | 20.49% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.38% | 32.98% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 7.99% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.58% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 0.82 and Grab (GRAB) at 1.38 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
CNI
Transportation industry group
0.82
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- CNI
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
GRAB
Transportation industry group
1.38
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- GRAB
- 1.38
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Grab (GRAB) at 0.29 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 1.09 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
CNI
Transportation industry group
1.09
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- CNI
- 1.09
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
GRAB
Transportation industry group
0.29
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- GRAB
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.82 | 1.38 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.09 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.46 | -8.58 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Grab (GRAB) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Canadian National Railway (CNI) reports a yield of 2.87%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CNI
Transportation industry group
2.87%
- Max
- 4.68%
- CNI
- 2.87%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GRAB
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- GRAB
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Grab (GRAB) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Canadian National Railway (CNI) reports a payout of 45.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CNI
Transportation industry group
45.63%
- Max
- 100.89%
- CNI
- 45.63%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GRAB
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- GRAB
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.87% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.63% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 21.61 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Grab (GRAB) at 34.10 sits in the richer quartile — GRAB needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
CNI
Transportation industry group
21.61
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- CNI
- 21.61
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
GRAB
Transportation industry group
34.10
- Max
- 46.76
- GRAB
- 34.10
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Canadian National Railway (CNI) at 4.05 and Grab (GRAB) at 3.47 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
CNI
Transportation industry group
4.05
- Max
- 4.35
- CNI
- 4.05
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
GRAB
Transportation industry group
3.47
- Max
- 4.35
- GRAB
- 3.47
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Grab (GRAB) at 2.04 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
GRAB
Transportation industry group
2.04
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- GRAB
- 2.04
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CNI | GRAB |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 21.61 | 34.10 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.05 | 3.47 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.77 | 2.04 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.30% | 5.71% |