The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of The Greenbrier Companies Inc (GBX) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: The Greenbrier Companies Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 2,629M vs 27,141M combined for tracked competitors (8.8% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-12.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+8.1%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: The Greenbrier Companies Inc generated -31.6% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 19.6% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 3.3% net margin compares with 2.5% for the peer group.
- Scale: The Greenbrier Companies Inc ranks #7 of 11 companies by market capitalization in the Railroads industry, holding 0.3% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: The Greenbrier Companies Inc accounted for 7.3% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 12.1% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.24M compares with $0.49M for the peer group (0.5x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
GBX Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
The Greenbrier Companies Inc reported revenue contraction of 31.57 % year on year in Q3 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 19.61 %.
With a net margin of 3.28 %, The Greenbrier Companies Inc achieved higher profitability than its competitors (2.54 %).
The Greenbrier Companies Inc generated 7.29 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 12.08 % a year earlier.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across The Greenbrier Companies Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across The Greenbrier Companies Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Railroads industry grew revenue 6.9% year over year, combined, vs -31.6% for The Greenbrier Companies Inc. The Greenbrier Companies Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 2.03% to 1.30%, a loss of 0.73 percentage points.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Competitors combined (5) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 87.50 % (7 of 8) | 50.00 % (4 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 14.30 % (1 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
GBX Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
GBX Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
GBX Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Gatx Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Trinity Industries Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Icahn Enterprises l p | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Freightcar America Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for The Greenbrier Companies Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
There are currently six major railcar manufacturers competing in North America.
In addition, a number of small manufacturers have recently entered the market.
We compete on the basis of quality, price, reliability of delivery, product
design and innovation, reputation and customer service and support.
Competition in the marine industry is dependent on the type of product produced.
There are two principal competitors that build product types similar to ours.
We compete on the basis of experienced labor, launch ways capacity, quality,
price and reliability of delivery.
We believe that we are among the top three European railcar manufacturers,
which maintain a combined market share of approximately 70%. European freight
car manufacturers are largely located in central and eastern Europe where labor
rates are lower and work rules are more flexible.
Competition in the wheels & parts and repair businesses is dependent on
the type of product or service provided. There are many competitors in the railcar
repair and refurbishment business and an increasing number of competitors in
the wheel services and other parts businesses. We compete primarily on the basis
of quality, timeliness of delivery, customer service, location of shops, price
and engineering expertise.
There are at least twenty institutions that provide railcar leasing and services similar to ours. Many of them are also customers that buy new railcars from our manufacturing facilities and used railcars from our lease fleet, as well as utilize our management services. Many of these institutions have greater resources than we do on our own balance sheet. We compete primarily on the basis of quality, price, delivery, reputation, service offerings and deal structuring and syndication ability. We believe our strong servicing capability and our ability to sell railcars with a lease attached (syndicate railcars), integrated with our manufacturing, repair shops, railcar specialization and expertise in particular lease structures provide a strong competitive position.
Publicly Traded Peers of The Greenbrier Companies Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 1,336.15 | 2,629.10 |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 49,585.95 | 11,980.00 |
| Gatx Corporation | 6,489.11 | 2,052.10 |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | 4,592.69 | 10,603.00 |
| Trinity Industries Inc | 2,252.16 | 2,042.40 |
| Freightcar America Inc | 226.77 | 463.52 |
| SUBTOTAL | 64,482.82 | 29,770.12 |
Sources: The Greenbrier Companies Inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on The Greenbrier Companies Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | Manufacturing 93.89 % |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | Freight 71.69 % |
| Gatx Corporation | Rail North America 74.99 % |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | Energy Segment 89.17 % |
| Trinity Industries Inc | Rail Products Group 60.98 % |
| Freightcar America Inc | Manufacturing 82.35 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 1,336 | 239,009 | 10,036 |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 49,586 | 386,452 | 41,129 |
| Gatx Corporation | 6,489 | 865,500 | 155,757 |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | 4,593 | 782,683 | -36,613 |
| Trinity Industries Inc | 2,252 | 334,272 | 57,823 |
| Freightcar America Inc | 227 | 233,396 | -6,282 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 63,147 | 493,348 | 27,068 |
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Freightcar America Inc | US 100.00 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 10 companies in The Greenbrier Companies Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.The Greenbrier Companies Inc ranks #7 of 10 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.30 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 2,333, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union Pacific Corp | 162,815 | 36.12 % |
| 2 | Csx Corporation | 86,927 | 19.29 % |
| 3 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd | 76,787 | 17.04 % |
| 4 | Norfolk Southern Corp | 70,436 | 15.63 % |
| 5 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Trinity Industries Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 1,336 | 0.30 % |
| 8 | Ftai Infrastructure Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Freightcar America Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Rail Vision Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of The Greenbrier Companies Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Csx Corporation | 86,927 | 38.43 % |
| 3 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd | 76,787 | 16.88 % |
| 4 | Norfolk Southern Corp | 70,436 | 10.78 % |
| 5 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Trinity Industries Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 1,336 | -5.75 % |
| 8 | Ftai Infrastructure Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Freightcar America Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 10 | Rail Vision Ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of The Greenbrier Companies Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Railroads industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (17 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 12.04 % | 54.96 % (avg) | -42.9 pp |
| Operating Margin | 7.23 % | industry median | -26.9 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 14.09 % | 29.62 % (avg) | -15.5 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | - | 11.51 % (avg) | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Railroads industry average (17 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 14.6x | 20.9x | -6.2x |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.0x | 16.1x | -8.1x |
| P/B | 0.9x | 3.6x | -2.7x |
| Return on Equity | 6.48 % | industry aggregate | -16.89 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3.51 % | 4.90 % (avg) | -1.38 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 17.83 % | 24.72 % | -24.16 % | -21.85 % | 68.42 % | 24.81 % | -9.39 % | -14.99 % |
| Operating Margin | 8.89 % | 5.92 % | 5.13 % | 2.90 % | 3.18 % | 6.18 % | 10.64 % | 10.08 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.94 % | 5.23 % | 3.04 % | 1.31 % | 3.16 % | 7.78 % | 10.00 % | 6.96 % |
| P/E | 9.8x | 15.9x | 36.9x | 27.8x | 59.7x | 12.6x | 10.7x | 7.9x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Strategic Group Map
Every company in The Greenbrier Companies Inc's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. The Greenbrier Companies Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs The Greenbrier Companies Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.01x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 2.3% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Union Pacific Corp alone holds 36% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 2,333 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See The Greenbrier Companies Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See The Greenbrier Companies Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Operating margin 26.9 points below the industry median.
- Return on equity 16.9 points below the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-12.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.01x).
- Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below, the standard financial-distress signal.
Opportunities
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (50.00 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Union Pacific Corp, holding 36.12 % of industry market cap.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 0.53 | 2.44 | 1.04 |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | - | 1.15 | 0.57 |
| Gatx Corporation | 2.08 | 3.06 | 3.40 |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | 0.43 | 0.87 | 2.30 |
| Trinity Industries Inc | 0.26 | 1.84 | 4.69 |
| Freightcar America Inc | - | 1.77 | - |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | Q2 2026 | -31.6 % | -72.0 % |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | Q2 2026 | +17.5 % | +16.5 % |
| Gatx Corporation | Q2 2026 | +34.8 % | +47.0 % |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | Q2 2026 | +25.6 % | - |
| Trinity Industries Inc | Q2 2026 | -4.2 % | +391.5 % |
| Freightcar America Inc | Q2 2026 | -4.6 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +13.4 % | -34.4 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | Q2 2026 | -28.3 % | -27.9 % |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | Q2 2026 | +14.1 % | +59.0 % |
| Gatx Corporation | Q2 2026 | +45.3 % | - |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | Q2 2026 | - | -16.7 % |
| Trinity Industries Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.6 % | -31.9 % |
| Freightcar America Inc | Q2 2026 | +6.1 % | +21.1 % |
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 2.54% | 2.97% | 6.48% |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 5.67% | 7.14% | 11.41% |
| Gatx Corporation | 2.21% | 1.98% | 10.86% |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | - | - | - |
| Trinity Industries Inc | 4.17% | 3.84% | 30.15% |
| Freightcar America Inc | - | - | - |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
The Greenbrier Companies Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| The Greenbrier Companies Inc | 12.53 | 0.51 |
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation | 39.30 | 4.14 |
| Gatx Corporation | 17.95 | 3.16 |
| Icahn Enterprises l p | - | 0.43 |
| Trinity Industries Inc | 6.70 | 1.10 |
| Freightcar America Inc | - | 0.49 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 40.31 | 2.17 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.