ABBV vs. BRK.A: AbbVie vs. Berkshire Hathaway Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AbbVie (ABBV) is classified in the Health Care sector (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences), whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) belongs to Financials (Financial Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Profile Item	ABBV	BRK.A
Name	AbbVie Inc.	Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Financials
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Financial Services
GICS Industry	Biotechnology	Financial Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Biotechnology	Multi-Sector Holdings
Market Capitalization	514.92 billion USD	1,222.51 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 2013	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ABBV

BRK.A

GSPC

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Total Return (1Y)	37.33%	13.87%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	32.74%	17.28%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	24.73%	14.57%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ABBV

BRK.A

GSPC

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

AbbVie (ABBV) trades around 4.76M shares per day on average, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) sees only 206 — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.

Risk profile metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	25.65%	14.86%
Beta (5Y)	0.21	0.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-21.92%	-25.98%
Avg. Volume (3M)	4.76M	206

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ABBV and BRK.A are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.29	0.65
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.02	0.96

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) earns 12.12% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; AbbVie (ABBV) has no ROE this period.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%
ABBV: --

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

12.12%

Max: 44.78%
Q3: 21.85%
Median: 12.91%
BRK.A: 12.12%
Q1: 4.48%
Min: -18.71%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): ABBV does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; BRK.A is benchmarked against the Financial Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) at 15.67% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 22.30%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

15.67%

Max: 18.05%
ABBV: 15.67%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

22.30%

Max: 62.84%
Q3: 28.05%
BRK.A: 22.30%
Median: 15.36%
Q1: 4.82%
Min: -28.52%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) at 39.59% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

39.59%

Max: 83.12%
ABBV: 39.59%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

32.56%

Max: 107.33%
Q3: 55.90%
BRK.A: 32.56%
Median: 30.09%
Q1: 14.60%
Min: -44.34%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
ROE (TTM)	--	12.12%
ROA (TTM)	10.74%	6.01%
Net Margin (TTM)	15.67%	22.30%
Operating Margin (TTM)	39.59%	32.56%
Gross Margin (TTM)	73.72%	--

Growth

Revenue Growth

AbbVie (ABBV) at 8.57% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -3.23% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

AbbVie (ABBV) at -0.84% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Revenue Growth (YoY)	8.57%	-3.23%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	1.75%	20.59%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-0.84%	-24.78%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-29.03%	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AbbVie (ABBV) shows current ratio of 0.87; Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) doesn’t get one — Financial Services balance sheets aren’t split into current and non-current buckets, so short-term liquidity there is judged through regulatory measures instead.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.87

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
ABBV: 0.87
Min: 0.10

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

BRK.A: --
Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): BRK.A’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for ABBV only.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

AbbVie (ABBV) has no debt-to-equity ratio value reported for this period; for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), debt-to-equity ratio isn’t a meaningful figure under the Financial Services industry convention — no peer-based comparison can be drawn.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00
ABBV: --

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

BRK.A: --
Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): ABBV does not report debt-to-equity ratio; BRK.A’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.87	--
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	--	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.21	--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile AbbVie (ABBV) reports a yield of 2.40%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.40%

ABBV: 2.40%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

0.00%

Max: 9.77%
Q3: 3.92%
Median: 1.09%
BRK.A: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports payout ratio above 100% at 117.35%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

117.35%

ABBV: 117.35%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

0.00%

Max: 241.07%
Q3: 97.36%
Median: 25.77%
BRK.A: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.40%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	117.35%	0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 50.05 sits in the richer quartile — ABBV needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

50.05

Max: 85.34
ABBV: 50.05
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

14.36

Max: 45.85
Q3: 24.64
Median: 15.37
BRK.A: 14.36
Q1: 9.68
Min: 0.16

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both AbbVie (ABBV) at 7.80 and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

7.80

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
ABBV: 7.80
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

3.18

Max: 9.23
Q3: 4.57
BRK.A: 3.18
Median: 2.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: -0.55

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports a negative P/B ratio of -112.34, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) reports 1.72, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

-112.34

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59
ABBV: -112.34

BRK.A

Financial Services industry group

1.72

Max: 7.79
Q3: 3.63
BRK.A: 1.72
Median: 1.57
Q1: 0.81
Min: -0.39

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Metric	ABBV	BRK.A
P/E Ratio (TTM)	50.05	14.36
P/S Ratio (TTM)	7.80	3.18
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	-112.34	1.72
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.44%	--