CNI vs. TMO

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

CNI (Canadian National Railway Company) and TMO (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.) are both stocks. CNI operates in Railroads (Industrials), while TMO operates in Diagnostics & Research (Healthcare). Over the past 10 years, CNI returned 9.46%/yr vs 12.28%/yr for TMO. At a 0.35 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

CNI vs. TMO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CNI achieves a 22.98% return, which is significantly higher than TMO's -18.87% return. Over the past 10 years, CNI has underperformed TMO with an annualized return of 9.46%, while TMO has yielded a comparatively higher 12.28% annualized return.

CNI

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: 8.21%
• YTD: 22.98%
• 6M: 24.55%
• 1Y: 18.14%
• 3Y*: 4.05%
• 5Y*: 3.84%
• 10Y*: 9.46%

TMO

• 1D: -0.67%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: -18.87%
• 6M: -17.21%
• 1Y: 17.28%
• 3Y*: -2.93%
• 5Y*: 1.21%
• 10Y*: 12.28%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CNI vs. TMO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CNI Canadian National Railway Company	22.98%	-0.10%	-17.51%	7.84%	-1.86%	13.70%	23.66%	24.26%	-8.49%	25.03%
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.	-18.87%	11.78%	-1.72%	-3.36%	-17.29%	43.54%	43.72%	45.55%	18.21%	35.03%

Correlation

The correlation between CNI and TMO is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.33
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 27, 1996	0.35

The correlation between CNI and TMO shifts across timeframes, from 0.28 (1 year) to 0.39 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CNI : $73.92B TMO : $175.17B
EPS CNI : $7.60 TMO : $18.22
PE Ratio CNI : 15.90 TMO : 25.78
PS Ratio CNI : 4.33 TMO : 3.91
PB Ratio CNI : 3.44 TMO : 3.37
Total Revenue (TTM) CNI : $17.29B TMO : $45.20B
Gross Profit (TTM) CNI : $7.64B TMO : $17.81B
EBITDA (TTM) CNI : $8.60B TMO : $11.16B

Return for Risk

CNI vs. TMO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CNI

CNI Risk / Return Rank: 64
CNI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
CNI Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
CNI Omega Ratio Rank: 61
CNI Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
CNI Martin Ratio Rank: 64

TMO

TMO Risk / Return Rank: 57
TMO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
TMO Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
TMO Omega Ratio Rank: 54
TMO Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
TMO Martin Ratio Rank: 55

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CNI vs. TMO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CNI	TMO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	0.56	+0.27
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.21	1.04	+0.17
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.13	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.29	0.55	+0.73
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.37	1.23	+1.14
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CNI vs. TMO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CNI Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is higher than the TMO Sharpe Ratio of 0.56. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CNI and TMO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CNI	TMO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	0.56	+0.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.17	0.04	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.42	0.47	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.59	0.40	+0.19

Drawdowns

CNI vs. TMO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CNI drawdown since its inception was -46.66%, smaller than the maximum TMO drawdown of -71.16%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CNI and TMO.

Drawdown Indicators

	CNI	TMO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.66%	-71.16%	+24.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.15%	-31.38%	+17.23%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-29.14%	-37.28%	+8.14%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.14%	-40.95%	+11.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.15%	-40.95%	+11.80%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.61%	-28.76%	+24.15%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.50%	-18.02%	+8.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.68%	14.09%	-6.41%

Volatility

CNI vs. TMO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) is 4.06%, while Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) has a volatility of 9.96%. This indicates that CNI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TMO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CNI	TMO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.06%	9.96%	-5.90%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.25%	21.57%	-4.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.95%	31.02%	-9.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.38%	27.13%	-4.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.69%	26.33%	-3.64%

Dividends

CNI vs. TMO - Dividend Comparison

CNI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.16%, more than TMO's 0.37% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CNI Canadian National Railway Company	2.16%	2.58%	2.43%	1.85%	1.41%	1.61%	1.59%	1.79%	2.01%	2.00%	2.23%	2.24%
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.	0.37%	0.30%	0.30%	0.26%	0.22%	0.16%	0.19%	0.23%	0.30%	0.32%	0.43%	0.42%

Financials

CNI vs. TMO - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Canadian National Railway Company and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CNI - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Canadian National Railway Company reported a gross profit of 1.88B and revenue of 4.39B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 42.8%.

TMO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. reported a gross profit of 4.48B and revenue of 11.01B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.7%.

CNI - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Canadian National Railway Company reported an operating income of 1.55B and revenue of 4.39B, resulting in an operating margin of 35.4%.

TMO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. reported an operating income of 1.86B and revenue of 11.01B, resulting in an operating margin of 16.9%.

CNI - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Canadian National Railway Company reported a net income of 1.15B and revenue of 4.39B, resulting in a net margin of 26.2%.

TMO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. reported a net income of 1.65B and revenue of 11.01B, resulting in a net margin of 15.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CNI and TMO in my portfolio?

CNI and TMO have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CNI or TMO?

TMO has higher volatility (9.96%) compared to CNI (4.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CNI dropped -46.66% vs TMO's -71.16%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CNI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.83 vs 0.56), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.