AVGO vs. BRK.A: Broadcom vs. Berkshire Hathaway Stock Comparison
How do Broadcom (AVGO) 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
Broadcom (AVGO) is classified in the Information Technology sector (Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment), whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) belongs to Financials (Financial Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Broadcom Inc. | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Semiconductors | Multi-Sector Holdings |
| Market Capitalization | 1,702.71 billion USD | 1,081.75 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 6, 2009 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 17.78% | 1.56% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 62.01% | 11.87% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 51.19% | 11.90% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Broadcom (AVGO) has an aggressive beta of 1.46, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is defensive at 0.60 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
Broadcom (AVGO) is heavily traded at around 25.85M shares per day, whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is thinly traded at only 192 — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.19% | 14.27% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.46 | 0.60 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -41.15% | -25.98% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 25.85M | 192 |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.28 | -0.17 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.42 | -0.25 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Broadcom (AVGO) at 44.25% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AVGO.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
44.25%
- Max
- 53.94%
- AVGO
- 44.25%
- Q3
- 20.35%
- Median
- 9.12%
- Q1
- -3.10%
- Min
- -21.32%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
12.12%
- Max
- 48.53%
- Q3
- 22.35%
- Median
- 12.81%
- BRK.A
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.46%
- Min
- -20.25%
Net Margin (TTM)
Broadcom (AVGO) at 42.94% 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.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
42.94%
- Max
- 55.91%
- AVGO
- 42.94%
- Q3
- 23.05%
- Median
- 9.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -34.50%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
22.30%
- Max
- 67.68%
- Q3
- 29.96%
- BRK.A
- 22.30%
- Median
- 16.31%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -30.67%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Broadcom (AVGO) at 54.31% turns sales into operating profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56% operates around its industry’s norm.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
54.31%
- AVGO
- 54.31%
- Max
- 48.99%
- Q3
- 23.49%
- Median
- 14.56%
- Q1
- -0.14%
- Min
- -31.62%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
32.56%
- Max
- 96.23%
- Q3
- 52.59%
- BRK.A
- 32.56%
- Median
- 28.34%
- Q1
- 11.37%
- Min
- -46.55%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.25% | 12.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 15.30% | 6.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 42.94% | 22.30% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 54.31% | 32.56% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 75.52% | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Broadcom (AVGO) at 23.87% 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.
EPS Growth
Broadcom (AVGO) at 287.80% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 23.87% | -3.23% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 24.38% | 20.59% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 287.80% | -24.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 21.60% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Broadcom (AVGO) shows current ratio of 2.50; 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.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
2.50
- Max
- 9.75
- Q3
- 5.29
- Median
- 3.43
- AVGO
- 2.50
- Q1
- 2.22
- Min
- 1.03
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.A
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Broadcom (AVGO) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60; for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) the ratio is set aside — in Financial Services, balance-sheet leverage is part of the business model itself, so capital-adequacy measures do the job this ratio does elsewhere.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.60
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.65
- AVGO
- 0.60
- Median
- 0.18
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.A
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.50 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.60 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.68 | -- |
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 Broadcom (AVGO) reports a yield of 0.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.73%
- Max
- 0.78%
- AVGO
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.33%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 16.20%
- Q3
- 6.48%
- Median
- 1.42%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Broadcom (AVGO) reports a payout of 32.40%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
32.40%
- Max
- 45.89%
- AVGO
- 32.40%
- Q3
- 18.55%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 219.05%
- Q3
- 87.87%
- Median
- 25.19%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.73% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 32.40% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Broadcom (AVGO) at 45.65 and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.71 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
45.65
- Max
- 142.60
- Q3
- 88.42
- Median
- 46.07
- AVGO
- 45.65
- Q1
- 31.85
- Min
- 9.81
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
12.71
- Max
- 47.57
- Q3
- 25.61
- Median
- 16.38
- BRK.A
- 12.71
- Q1
- 10.13
- Min
- 2.08
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 2.81 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Broadcom (AVGO) at 19.11 sits in the pricier quartile — AVGO costs more per dollar of sales.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
19.11
- Max
- 35.86
- AVGO
- 19.11
- Q3
- 16.42
- Median
- 7.35
- Q1
- 3.30
- Min
- 0.01
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 10.51
- Q3
- 5.11
- Median
- 2.99
- BRK.A
- 2.81
- Q1
- 1.50
- Min
- -0.63
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.45 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Broadcom (AVGO) at 17.11 carries an above-peer premium to book — AVGO is pricier on assets.
AVGO
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
17.11
- Max
- 22.43
- AVGO
- 17.11
- Q3
- 11.36
- Median
- 5.19
- Q1
- 2.75
- Min
- 0.04
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
1.45
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.77
- Median
- 1.71
- BRK.A
- 1.45
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- -1.05
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AVGO | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 45.65 | 12.71 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 19.11 | 2.81 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 17.11 | 1.45 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.79% | -- |