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CNI vs UNP
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Canadian National Railway (CNI) vs. Union Pacific (UNP) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both CNI and UNP are leading Class I railroads with extensive North American networks, exposed to similar macroeconomic drivers such as freight volumes and industrial activity.
- Recent market activity shows comparable resilience in rail equities amid broader transportation sector fluctuations, with performance influenced by supply chain normalization and energy cost trends.
- CNI maintains a cross-border operational advantage through its Canadian and U.S. routes, while UNP benefits from concentrated U.S. density and intermodal growth opportunities.
- Relative performance in recent weeks reflects balanced sector sentiment, with neither stock demonstrating pronounced outperformance based on observable trend consistency.
- Risk factors for both include regulatory scrutiny on rail safety and competition from trucking, though CNI and UNP exhibit differing geographic and volume exposures.
- Market positioning highlights trade-offs in stability versus growth catalysts, relevant for investors seeking rail sector diversification.
Introduction
Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Union Pacific (UNP) represent two of North America’s premier Class I railroads, making them natural subjects for comparison among transportation and industrial investors. This analysis examines their relative performance, business models, and market positioning in the current environment, where economic indicators such as freight demand and fuel prices continue to shape sector dynamics. Traders and long-term investors focused on cyclical equities, infrastructure stability, or sector rotation may find the comparison particularly relevant for assessing diversification within the rail industry. The review emphasizes verifiable developments from recent weeks while maintaining a neutral perspective on observable trends.
CNI Overview and Recent Performance
Canadian National Railway operates an extensive rail network spanning Canada and the United States, transporting bulk commodities, intermodal containers, and automotive products. In recent market activity, CNI shares have reflected steady sector participation amid normalized supply chains and varying industrial output levels. Performance has been influenced by cross-border trade volumes and broader economic indicators, contributing to consistent trend behavior without significant volatility spikes. Investor sentiment remains tied to freight data releases and operational efficiency metrics typical of the rail sector.
UNP Overview and Recent Performance
Union Pacific operates a major U.S.-focused rail network serving key industrial corridors with emphasis on intermodal, agricultural, and energy-related shipments. Recent market activity for UNP has aligned with transportation sector movements, shaped by domestic demand patterns and fuel cost dynamics. The stock has demonstrated resilience consistent with peer railroads, with sentiment influenced by volume reports and regulatory developments affecting U.S. freight operations.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Canadian National Railway and Union Pacific share core exposure to North American freight transportation yet differ in geographic reach and operational focus. CNI benefits from integrated Canadian-U.S. routes that support cross-border commodity flows, while UNP concentrates on high-density U.S. corridors with strong intermodal positioning. Recent momentum has been comparable, driven by similar macroeconomic factors, though CNI may exhibit slightly different sensitivity to international trade metrics. Risk profiles include overlapping regulatory and competitive pressures from trucking, with trade-offs centered on diversification versus concentrated market access. Sector sentiment remains balanced, reflecting shared cyclical characteristics without clear differentiation in recent weeks.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, geographic stability, and relative sector positioning in recent market activity, Tickeron’s AI models indicate a modest probabilistic preference toward CNI for its cross-border network resilience. This assessment remains conditional on continued alignment with freight volume indicators and broader economic trends, without implying definitive outperformance.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CNI is a Hold and UNP is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CNI’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileUNP’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s).
- CNI’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- UNP’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CNI’s TA Score shows that 2 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UNP’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CNI’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 6 bearish.
- UNP’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
CNI (@Railroads) experienced а -1.75% price change this week, while UNP (@Railroads) price change was -4.94% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Railroads industry was -4.57%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.79%, and the average quarterly price growth was +7.54%.
Reported Earning Dates
CNI is expected to report earnings on Oct 30, 2026.
UNP is expected to report earnings on Oct 22, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Railroads (-4.57% weekly)The Railroad industry includes passenger and freight transportation services along rail lines. This also includes companies that provide maintenance and switching duties as part of rail services. Within North America, the industry is largely dominated by some large operators. Several short-line railroads serve regional and local routes. Union Pacific Corporation, Canadian National Railway Company, and CSX Corporation are some of the prominent names in the business. The railroad business is relatively cyclical; economic expansion boost the freight services in particular, while economic stagnation often dampens transportation demand.
| CNI | UNP | CNI / UNP | |
| Capitalization | 76.9B | 174B | 44% |
| EBITDA | 9.24B | 13.3B | 69% |
| Gain YTD | 28.690 | 27.608 | 104% |
| P/E Ratio | 22.92 | 23.65 | 97% |
| Revenue | 17.8B | 25.4B | 70% |
| Total Cash | 280M | 2.11B | 13% |
| Total Debt | 22.6B | 31.2B | 72% |
CNI | UNP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 89 | 89 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 80 Overvalued | 85 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 72 | 43 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 44 | 25 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 40 | 18 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 26 | 29 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | 45 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
CNI's Valuation (80) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as UNP (85). This means that CNI’s stock grew similarly to UNP’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's Profit vs Risk Rating (43) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CNI (72). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CNI’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's SMR Rating (25) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CNI (44). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CNI’s over the last 12 months.
UNP's Price Growth Rating (18) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as CNI (40). This means that UNP’s stock grew similarly to CNI’s over the last 12 months.
CNI's P/E Growth Rating (26) in the Railroads industry is in the same range as UNP (29). This means that CNI’s stock grew similarly to UNP’s over the last 12 months.
| CNI | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 55% | 4 days ago 56% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 4 days ago 53% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 4 days ago 47% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 55% | 4 days ago 43% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 48% | 4 days ago 51% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 43% | 4 days ago 48% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 43% | 11 days ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 50% | 5 days ago 47% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 55% | 4 days ago 47% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 41% | 4 days ago 33% |
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CNI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, CNI has been closely correlated with CP. These tickers have moved in lockstep 78% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if CNI jumps, then CP could also see price increases.
UNP and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UNP has been closely correlated with NSC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 87% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if UNP jumps, then NSC could also see price increases.