Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)
This page compares Amazon.com (AMZN) with Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) using performance and risk, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividends, and valuation metrics.
Company Profile
Amazon.com (AMZN) is classified in the Consumer Discretionary sector (Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail), whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) belongs to Financials (Financial Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Amazon.com, Inc. | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Broadline Retail | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Broadline Retail | Multi-Sector Holdings |
| Market Capitalization | 2,566.11 billion USD | 1,055.24 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 15, 1997 | May 9, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
Both Amazon.com (AMZN) at 31.64 and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.56 post Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) near the typical industry midpoint — neither company stands out strongly from peers on trailing earnings multiple.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
31.64
- Max
- 54.29
- Q3
- 31.64
- Median
- 20.61
- Q1
- 12.78
- Min
- 1.13
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.56
- Max
- 47.33
- Q3
- 25.83
- Median
- 14.56
- Q1
- 9.03
- Min
- 0.60
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 2.81 is priced about in line with its industry on Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM), while Amazon.com (AMZN) at 3.45 sits in the pricier quartile — AMZN costs more per dollar of sales.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
3.45
- Max
- 3.65
- Q3
- 1.78
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.28
- Min
- 0.03
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 9.45
- Q3
- 4.84
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 1.48
- Min
- -1.12
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 looks cheap against book in the lower Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) quartile, while Amazon.com (AMZN) at 5.81 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
5.81
- Max
- 11.07
- Q3
- 5.11
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- -3.64
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 7.24
- Q3
- 3.50
- Median
- 1.63
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 31.64 | 14.56 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.45 | 2.81 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 5.81 | 0.00 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield | 0.38% | 5.80% |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
Both Amazon.com (AMZN) at 24.29% and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 10.50% post Return on Equity (TTM) near their industry mid-ranges, so neither company stands out strongly from peers on this measure.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
24.29%
- Max
- 63.82%
- Q3
- 31.67%
- Median
- 12.96%
- Q1
- 4.89%
- Min
- -29.94%
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
10.50%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.40%
- Median
- 12.18%
- Q1
- 5.01%
- Min
- -18.74%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
Amazon.com (AMZN) at 12.22% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 19.31%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
12.22%
- Max
- 20.45%
- Q3
- 8.75%
- Median
- 3.25%
- Q1
- 0.49%
- Min
- -11.15%
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.41%
- Median
- 16.58%
- Q1
- 4.49%
- Min
- -26.88%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
Amazon.com (AMZN) at 13.14% operates in the top Operating Profit Margin (TTM) quartile, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.35%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
13.14%
- Max
- 23.15%
- Q3
- 11.08%
- Median
- 4.61%
- Q1
- 1.68%
- Min
- -8.71%
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.35%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 50.01%
- Median
- 27.45%
- Q1
- 12.28%
- Min
- -36.26%
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 24.29% | 10.50% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.85% | 5.39% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.22% | 19.31% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.14% | 14.35% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 50.60% | 27.78% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Revenue Growth | 12.38% | -3.23% |
| 3-Year Revenue CAGR | 11.73% | 20.59% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year EPS Growth | 29.66% | -24.78% |
| 3-Year EPS CAGR | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Amazon.com (AMZN) reports Current Ratio (MRQ) of 1.18; for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Current Ratio (MRQ) isn’t a meaningful figure under the Financial Services industry convention (banks and insurers use different balance-sheet conventions), so the two aren’t directly comparable here.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
1.18
- Max
- 2.97
- Q3
- 1.87
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.46
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.88
- Max
- 8.56
- Q3
- 4.18
- Median
- 1.80
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.05
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
Amazon.com (AMZN) reports Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) of 0.53; for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) isn’t a meaningful figure under the Financial Services industry convention (banks and insurers use different balance-sheet conventions), so the two aren’t directly comparable here.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
0.53
- Max
- 3.27
- Q3
- 1.82
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.67
- Min
- 0.01
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.18
- Max
- 6.26
- Q3
- 2.80
- Median
- 1.19
- Q1
- 0.34
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.18 | 2.88 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.53 | 0.18 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.59 | -2.28 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Amazon.com (AMZN) nor Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 6.62%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 18.40%
- Q3
- 7.73%
- Median
- 1.93%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Amazon.com (AMZN) nor Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
AMZN
Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 78.51%
- Q3
- 33.46%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 95.72%
- Median
- 25.56%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividends at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Performance & Risk
Amazon.com (AMZN) has an aggressive beta of 1.47, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is defensive at 0.62 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
Performance & Risk at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Return | 11.87% | -0.22% |
| 1-Year Volatility | 30.20% | 14.40% |
| Beta | 1.47 | 0.62 |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 44.54M | 4.85M |