CMI vs DAN: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: DAN is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CMI and DAN share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CMI and DAN exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Cummins Inc. is one of the world's largest independent makers of diesel and natural gas engines, and it operates across five segments: Engine, Components, Distribution, Power Systems, and Accelera (its low-carbon and electrification arm). Its products power heavy- and medium-duty trucks, buses, construction and mining equipment, and standby and prime power generators, and it runs a large aftermarket parts and service network. The Distribution segment is the largest by revenue, while Power Systems has been the fastest-growing thanks to demand for backup power at data centers.

Full CMI guide

Dana Incorporated makes the parts that put power on the road: axles, driveshafts, differentials, electrified propulsion units, and the sealing and thermal-management products that go around them. Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, it sells mostly to vehicle manufacturers rather than to consumers, and its content sits under pickups, SUVs, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and an aftermarket channel that keeps older vehicles running. As of mid-2026 the company reports in two segments. Light Vehicle did ~$1.38 billion of sales in the second quarter and Commercial Vehicle did ~$631 million, so roughly two-thirds of the revenue now rides on the light-truck and SUV cycle and about a third on commercial trucks. The Off-Highway unit that used to sit alongside them, the construction, agriculture and mining driveline business, was sold to Allison Transmission for ~$2.7 billion and closed on January 2, 2026.

Full DAN guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• CMI drivers: Data center backup power; North American truck cycle.
• DAN drivers: The Off-Highway sale reset the balance sheet; Margin self-help is showing up in the numbers.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Cummins is exposed to the industrial and freight cycle, so a downturn in truck demand or construction spending can cut engine volumes and margins quickly. For DAN, dana sells to a handful of large vehicle manufacturers, so a production cut at one customer flows straight into revenue with very little to cushion it.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick CMI if you believe its drivers more; DAN if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the CMI and DAN guides.

CMI. Cummins trades at a premium to its historical multiple after a large 2025-2026 run tied to data center power demand. The forward P/E near 23x sits well below the trailing figure, reflecting expected earnings growth as guidance was raised. The dividend is modest in yield but backed by a long record of annual increases.

DAN. Second-quarter sales of ~$2.01 billion came in above consensus and adjusted EBITDA of ~$207 million lifted the margin ~270 basis points year over year, which is what pushed management to raise the full-year outlook by roughly $225 million of sales. At ~$29.70 a share the stock is near ~15x the midpoint of guided adjusted EPS, while the guided free cash flow midpoint of ~$325 million is close to a tenth of the ~$3.2 billion market cap, so the equity and earnings multiples tell different stories. Enterprise value against ~$800 million to ~$850 million of guided adjusted EBITDA works out to roughly five times, low by broad-market standards and normal for a cyclical supplier at a point in the cycle nobody is sure about.

Headline figures (approximate, JUNE 2026): CMI shows revenue (fy2025) ~$33.7B, revenue (q1 2026) ~$8.4B, up ~3% YoY, net income (fy2025) ~$2.8B, market cap ~$96B; DAN shows revenue (ttm) ~$7.66B, market cap ~$3.2B, q2 2026 adjusted ebitda margin ~10.3% (vs ~7.6%), fy2026 guidance (sales / adj. ebitda) ~$7.65B-$7.85B / ~$800M-$850M.

CMI and DAN are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CMI and DAN exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.