CNI vs. GWW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CNI and GWW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Canadian National Railway Company | W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
| Country | Canada | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Ground Transportation | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 59.53 billion USD | 48.48 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | November 26, 1996 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CNI and GWW by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 3.03% | 1.81% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -9.99% | -6.00% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -9.04% | -0.74% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -15.11% | 3.71% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 2.47% | -2.51% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -9.17% | -3.85% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.81M | 0.30M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.43M | 0.28M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 17.44% | 27.57% |
| Beta | 0.58 | 1.20 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CNI
21.82%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 22.11%
- Q3
- 13.84%
- Median
- 9.66%
- Q1
- 7.55%
- Min
- 0.36%
In the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry, CNI’s Return on Equity of 21.82% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
GWW
54.86%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 32.33%
- Q3
- 19.92%
- Median
- 14.05%
- Q1
- 11.46%
- Min
- 0.91%
GWW’s Return on Equity of 54.86% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CNI
26.62%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 32.20%
- Q3
- 18.59%
- Median
- 7.11%
- Q1
- 4.13%
- Min
- -10.38%
A Net Profit Margin of 26.62% places CNI in the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
GWW
10.99%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 17.73%
- Q3
- 10.81%
- Median
- 6.13%
- Q1
- 4.33%
- Min
- 2.09%
A Net Profit Margin of 10.99% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CNI
37.28%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 41.31%
- Q3
- 23.16%
- Median
- 11.33%
- Q1
- 6.82%
- Min
- -12.08%
An Operating Profit Margin of 37.28% places CNI in the upper quartile for the Ground Transportation industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
GWW
15.27%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 25.50%
- Q3
- 15.13%
- Median
- 7.46%
- Q1
- 5.44%
- Min
- 3.55%
An Operating Profit Margin of 15.27% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 21.82% | 54.86% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.09% | 21.63% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 26.62% | 10.99% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 37.28% | 15.27% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 75.22% | 39.25% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CNI
0.82
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 2.03
- Q3
- 1.26
- Median
- 0.89
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.38
CNI’s Current Ratio of 0.82 aligns with the median group of the Ground Transportation industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
GWW
2.82
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 2.82
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.46
GWW’s Current Ratio of 2.82 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CNI
0.95
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 2.51
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.47
- Min
- 0.00
CNI’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.95 is typical for the Ground Transportation industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
GWW
0.64
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 1.18
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.00
GWW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.64 is typical for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CNI
7.66
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 51.07
- Q3
- 22.54
- Median
- 7.94
- Q1
- 2.72
- Min
- -24.57
CNI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.66 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Ground Transportation industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
GWW
34.56
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 15.13
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 5.75
- Q1
- 2.70
- Min
- -1.67
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.56, GWW demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.82 | 2.82 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.58 | 1.53 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.95 | 0.64 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.66 | 34.56 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CNI
2.67%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 5.44%
- Q3
- 2.49%
- Median
- 1.53%
- Q1
- 0.39%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.67%, CNI offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Ground Transportation industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
GWW
0.92%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.99%
- Q3
- 3.04%
- Median
- 1.94%
- Q1
- 1.22%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Yield of 0.92% is in the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CNI
47.68%
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 137.07%
- Q3
- 74.71%
- Median
- 41.16%
- Q1
- 15.12%
- Min
- 0.00%
CNI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 47.68% is within the typical range for the Ground Transportation industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
GWW
22.89%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 95.14%
- Q3
- 62.08%
- Median
- 51.17%
- Q1
- 26.24%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.89% is in the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.67% | 0.92% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 47.68% | 22.89% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CNI
17.88
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 42.59
- Q3
- 24.86
- Median
- 16.38
- Q1
- 12.79
- Min
- 4.37
CNI’s P/E Ratio of 17.88 is within the middle range for the Ground Transportation industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
GWW
24.84
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 48.55
- Q3
- 26.73
- Median
- 17.17
- Q1
- 10.78
- Min
- 1.62
GWW’s P/E Ratio of 24.84 is within the middle range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CNI
4.76
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 4.02
- Q3
- 2.20
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.22
With a P/S Ratio of 4.76, CNI trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Ground Transportation industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
GWW
2.73
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.88
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.60
- Min
- 0.29
GWW’s P/S Ratio of 2.73 is in the upper echelon for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CNI
4.14
Ground Transportation Industry
- Max
- 4.95
- Q3
- 2.78
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 1.17
- Min
- 0.64
CNI’s P/B Ratio of 4.14 is in the upper tier for the Ground Transportation industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
GWW
13.60
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 8.77
- Q3
- 4.33
- Median
- 2.00
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.35
At 13.60, GWW’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CNI | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 17.88 | 24.84 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 4.76 | 2.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 4.14 | 13.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 25.23 | 33.72 |