AXP vs. BRK.A: American Express vs. Berkshire Hathaway Stock Comparison
How do American Express (AXP) 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
American Express (AXP) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but AXP is classified in Consumer Finance while BRK.A is classified in Financial Services.
| Profile Item | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Express Company | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Consumer Finance | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Finance | Multi-Sector Holdings |
| Market Capitalization | 225.01 billion USD | 1,081.75 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 4.74% | 1.56% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 29.77% | 11.87% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 16.06% | 11.90% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
American Express (AXP) trades around 2.95M shares per day on average, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) sees only 192 — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 26.80% | 14.27% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.05 | 0.60 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -31.55% | -25.98% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.95M | 192 |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.03 | -0.17 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.04 | -0.25 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
American Express (AXP) at 34.38% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AXP.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
34.38%
- Max
- 48.53%
- AXP
- 34.38%
- Q3
- 22.22%
- Median
- 12.75%
- Q1
- 4.29%
- Min
- -22.61%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
12.12%
- Max
- 48.53%
- Q3
- 22.22%
- Median
- 12.75%
- BRK.A
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.29%
- Min
- -22.61%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 16.14% and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 22.30% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
16.14%
- Max
- 66.61%
- Q3
- 29.77%
- Median
- 16.23%
- AXP
- 16.14%
- Q1
- 4.58%
- Min
- -30.67%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
22.30%
- Max
- 66.61%
- Q3
- 29.77%
- BRK.A
- 22.30%
- Median
- 16.23%
- Q1
- 4.58%
- Min
- -30.67%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 20.32% and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
20.32%
- Max
- 96.23%
- Q3
- 52.96%
- Median
- 28.47%
- AXP
- 20.32%
- Q1
- 11.50%
- Min
- -46.55%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
32.56%
- Max
- 96.23%
- Q3
- 52.96%
- BRK.A
- 32.56%
- Median
- 28.47%
- Q1
- 11.50%
- Min
- -46.55%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 34.38% | 12.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.79% | 6.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 16.14% | 22.30% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 20.32% | 32.56% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
American Express (AXP) at 9.52% 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
Both American Express (AXP) at 9.78% and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.52% | -3.23% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.97% | 20.59% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 9.78% | -24.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.01% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: American Express (AXP) in Financial Services and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: American Express (AXP) in Financial Services and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
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 American Express (AXP) reports a yield of 1.06%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
1.06%
- Max
- 16.28%
- Q3
- 6.75%
- Median
- 1.42%
- AXP
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 16.28%
- Q3
- 6.75%
- 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 American Express (AXP) reports a payout of 21.48%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
21.48%
- Max
- 219.05%
- Q3
- 89.31%
- Median
- 25.23%
- AXP
- 21.48%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 219.05%
- Q3
- 89.31%
- Median
- 25.23%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.06% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 21.48% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 20.21 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.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
20.21
- Max
- 49.58
- Q3
- 26.24
- AXP
- 20.21
- Median
- 16.17
- Q1
- 10.08
- Min
- 2.02
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
12.71
- Max
- 49.58
- Q3
- 26.24
- Median
- 16.17
- BRK.A
- 12.71
- Q1
- 10.08
- Min
- 2.02
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both American Express (AXP) at 3.17 and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 2.81 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
3.17
- Max
- 10.28
- Q3
- 5.12
- AXP
- 3.17
- Median
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.49
- Min
- -1.12
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 10.28
- Q3
- 5.12
- Median
- 2.95
- BRK.A
- 2.81
- Q1
- 1.49
- Min
- -1.12
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.45 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while American Express (AXP) at 6.56 carries an above-peer premium to book — AXP is pricier on assets.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
6.56
- Max
- 7.98
- AXP
- 6.56
- Q3
- 3.72
- Median
- 1.73
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- -0.76
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
1.45
- Max
- 7.98
- Q3
- 3.72
- Median
- 1.73
- BRK.A
- 1.45
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- -0.76
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AXP | BRK.A |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.21 | 12.71 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.17 | 2.81 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.56 | 1.45 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |