V vs. CNI

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

V (Visa Inc.) and CNI (Canadian National Railway Company) are both stocks. V operates in Credit Services (Financial Services), while CNI operates in Railroads (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, V returned 15.64%/yr vs 9.46%/yr for CNI. At a 0.43 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

V vs. CNI - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, V achieves a -8.47% return, which is significantly lower than CNI's 22.98% return. Over the past 10 years, V has outperformed CNI with an annualized return of 15.64%, while CNI has yielded a comparatively lower 9.46% annualized return.

V

• 1D: -1.21%
• 1M: 0.48%
• YTD: -8.47%
• 6M: -1.79%
• 1Y: -12.97%
• 3Y*: 13.52%
• 5Y*: 7.39%
• 10Y*: 15.64%

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%

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

V vs. CNI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
V Visa Inc.	-8.47%	11.76%	22.32%	26.31%	-3.40%	-0.31%	17.12%	43.33%	16.49%	47.18%
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%

Correlation

The correlation between V and CNI is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.27
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 20, 2008	0.43

Over the past year, the correlation between V and CNI has dropped to 0.17 - well below their long-term average of 0.43, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

EPS V : $15.24 CNI : $7.60
PE Ratio V : 20.98 CNI : 15.90
PS Ratio V : 10.84 CNI : 4.33
Total Revenue (TTM) V : $43.03B CNI : $17.29B
Gross Profit (TTM) V : $16.94B CNI : $7.64B
EBITDA (TTM) V : $27.63B CNI : $8.60B

Return for Risk

V vs. CNI — Risk / Return Rank

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

V

V Risk / Return Rank: 17
V Sharpe Ratio Rank: 16
V Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
V Omega Ratio Rank: 17
V Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
V Martin Ratio Rank: 16

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

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.

V vs. CNI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Visa Inc. (V) and Canadian National Railway Company (CNI). 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.

	V	CNI	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.58	0.83	-1.42
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.72	1.21	-1.93
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.91	1.16	-0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.64	1.29	-1.93
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.18	2.37	-3.54
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

V vs. CNI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current V Sharpe Ratio is -0.58, which is lower than the CNI Sharpe Ratio of 0.83. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of V and CNI, 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

	V	CNI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.58	0.83	-1.42
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33	0.17	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.64	0.42	+0.22
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.69	0.59	+0.10

Drawdowns

V vs. CNI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum V drawdown since its inception was -51.90%, which is greater than CNI's maximum drawdown of -46.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for V and CNI.

Drawdown Indicators

	V	CNI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.90%	-46.66%	-5.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.38%	-14.15%	-6.23%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.38%	-29.14%	+8.76%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.60%	-29.14%	+0.54%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.36%	-29.15%	-7.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.69%	-4.61%	-9.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.26%	-9.50%	+1.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.03%	7.68%	+3.35%

Volatility

V vs. CNI - Volatility Comparison

Visa Inc. (V) has a higher volatility of 5.74% compared to Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) at 4.06%. This indicates that V's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CNI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	V	CNI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.74%	4.06%	+1.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.50%	17.25%	+0.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.32%	21.95%	+0.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.80%	22.38%	+0.42%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.47%	22.69%	+1.78%

Dividends

V vs. CNI - Dividend Comparison

V's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.81%, less than CNI's 2.16% 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%
V Visa Inc.	0.81%	0.70%	0.68%	0.72%	0.76%	0.62%	0.56%	0.56%	0.67%	0.61%	0.75%	0.64%

Financials

V vs. CNI - Profitability Comparison

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

V - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Visa Inc. reported a gross profit of -8.90B and revenue of 11.23B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was -79.3%.

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%.

V - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Visa Inc. reported an operating income of 7.23B and revenue of 11.23B, resulting in an operating margin of 64.4%.

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%.

V - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Visa Inc. reported a net income of 6.02B and revenue of 11.23B, resulting in a net margin of 53.6%.

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%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both V and CNI in my portfolio?

V and CNI have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, V or CNI?

V has higher volatility (5.74%) compared to CNI (4.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, V dropped -51.90% vs CNI's -46.66%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CNI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.83 vs -0.58), 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.