AFL vs. BRK-B: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and BRK-B, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
BRK-B’s market capitalization of 1,047.52 billion USD is significantly greater than AFL’s 56.54 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 0.81 for AFL and 0.84 for BRK-B, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AFL | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Insurance - Diversified |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Warren E. Buffett |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 485 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 1,047.52 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 0.84 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | May 9, 1996 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and BRK-B by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AFL
13.91%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 23.38%
- Q3
- 14.56%
- Median
- 11.23%
- Q1
- 1.67%
- Min
- -5.23%
AFL’s Return on Equity of 13.91% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Life industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
BRK-B
12.77%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.59%
- Q3
- 17.66%
- Median
- 12.77%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- -4.43%
BRK-B’s Return on Equity of 12.77% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AFL
2.99%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 6.30%
- Q3
- 3.33%
- Median
- 2.16%
- Q1
- 0.68%
- Min
- -0.10%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Life industry.
BRK-B
7.95%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 32.46%
- Q3
- 16.21%
- Median
- 9.46%
- Q1
- 2.09%
- Min
- -10.51%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Diversified industry.
Net Profit Margin
AFL
21.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 21.20%
- Q3
- 11.59%
- Median
- 7.10%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- 2.14%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.03% places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
BRK-B
21.07%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 26.00%
- Q3
- 19.46%
- Median
- 9.37%
- Q1
- 5.55%
- Min
- -7.05%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.07% places BRK-B in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AFL
25.70%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 38.96%
- Q3
- 37.28%
- Median
- 14.06%
- Q1
- 8.95%
- Min
- -1.68%
In the Insurance - Life industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.
BRK-B
25.62%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 44.52%
- Q3
- 25.84%
- Median
- 14.16%
- Q1
- 6.78%
- Min
- -2.60%
BRK-B’s Operating Profit Margin of 25.62% is around the midpoint for the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 12.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 6.95% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | 7.95% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 21.07% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 25.62% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 39.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AFL
--
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 843.97
- Q3
- 821.68
- Median
- 6.06
- Q1
- 3.15
- Min
- 0.47
Current Ratio data for AFL is currently unavailable.
BRK-B
2.87
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.41
- Q3
- 4.03
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.82
- Min
- 2.82
BRK-B’s Current Ratio of 2.87 aligns with the median group of the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AFL
0.29
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 0.86
- Q3
- 0.83
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.37
- Min
- 0.27
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, AFL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.29 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
BRK-B
0.19
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 0.54
- Q3
- 0.39
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.21
- Min
- 0.13
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, BRK-B’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.19 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AFL
21.96
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 37.82
- Q3
- 19.50
- Median
- 6.25
- Q1
- 2.29
- Min
- -0.76
AFL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 21.96 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
BRK-B
19.13
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 19.23
- Q3
- 17.46
- Median
- 7.97
- Q1
- 4.61
- Min
- -1.63
BRK-B’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 19.13 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 2.87 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 2.72 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 0.19 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | 0.71 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 19.13 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and BRK-B. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AFL
2.07%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 10.36%
- Q3
- 4.76%
- Median
- 2.40%
- Q1
- 1.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Yield of 2.07% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Life industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
BRK-B
0.00%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 8.16%
- Q3
- 5.54%
- Median
- 2.46%
- Q1
- 1.59%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK-B currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AFL
31.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 203.94%
- Q3
- 64.38%
- Median
- 29.88%
- Q1
- 19.14%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.03% is within the typical range for the Insurance - Life industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
BRK-B
0.00%
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 101.86%
- Q3
- 53.36%
- Median
- 21.69%
- Q1
- 5.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK-B has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AFL
15.85
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 17.82
- Q3
- 16.08
- Median
- 12.43
- Q1
- 7.33
- Min
- 3.69
AFL’s P/E Ratio of 15.85 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
BRK-B
12.93
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 18.52
- Q3
- 16.13
- Median
- 13.33
- Q1
- 9.73
- Min
- 2.62
BRK-B’s P/E Ratio of 12.93 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AFL
2.40
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.81
- Q3
- 1.95
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.24
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.40 places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
BRK-B
2.59
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.60
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.59 places BRK-B in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AFL
3.31
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.84
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.31
AFL’s P/S Ratio of 3.31 is in the upper echelon for the Insurance - Life industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
BRK-B
2.73
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 3.08
- Q3
- 2.00
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.38
BRK-B’s P/S Ratio of 2.73 is in the upper echelon for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AFL
2.16
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.87
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.49
- Q1
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.38
AFL’s P/B Ratio of 2.16 is in the upper tier for the Insurance - Life industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
BRK-B
1.60
Insurance - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 2.12
- Q3
- 1.80
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 1.29
- Min
- 0.74
BRK-B’s P/B Ratio of 1.60 is within the conventional range for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 12.93 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | 2.59 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 2.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 1.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | 86.82 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 9.59 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 2.95 |