AZN vs. BRK-B: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN 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 AZN’s 430.65 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
BRK-B carries a higher beta at 0.84, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZN (beta: 0.17) exhibits greater stability.
AZN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, BRK-B is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | AZN | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Financial Services |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Insurance - Diversified |
| CEO | Pascal Claude Roland Soriot | Warren E. Buffett |
| Price | 69.45 USD | 485 USD |
| Market Cap | 430.65 billion USD | 1,047.52 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.17 | 0.84 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 12, 1993 | May 9, 1996 |
| ADR | Yes | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN 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
AZN
19.18%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 95.59%
- Q3
- 76.92%
- Median
- 30.71%
- Q1
- 8.97%
- Min
- -14.85%
AZN’s Return on Equity of 19.18% is on par with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General 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
AZN
10.93%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 25.72%
- Q3
- 17.89%
- Median
- 11.47%
- Q1
- 9.39%
- Min
- 2.87%
AZN’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.93% is in line with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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
AZN
14.14%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 23.04%
- Median
- 14.73%
- Q1
- 11.78%
- Min
- 2.18%
AZN’s Net Profit Margin of 14.14% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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
AZN
19.21%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 40.70%
- Q3
- 28.90%
- Median
- 23.41%
- Q1
- 19.05%
- Min
- 16.13%
AZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 19.21% is around the midpoint for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
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 | AZN | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.18% | 12.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.31% | 6.95% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 10.93% | 7.95% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.14% | 21.07% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.21% | 25.62% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.41% | 39.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AZN
0.90
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.39
AZN’s Current Ratio of 0.90 aligns with the median group of the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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
AZN
0.77
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.44
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.09
AZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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
AZN
7.95
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.46
- Q3
- 14.40
- Median
- 7.80
- Q1
- 4.07
- Min
- 1.67
AZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.95 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
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 | AZN | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 2.87 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.70 | 2.72 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.77 | 0.19 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.49 | 0.71 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.95 | 19.13 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZN 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
AZN
1.87%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 8.72%
- Q3
- 4.10%
- Median
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Yield of 1.87% is in the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
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
AZN
63.60%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 266.46%
- Q3
- 78.91%
- Median
- 60.27%
- Q1
- 43.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 63.60% is within the typical range for the Drug Manufacturers - General 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 | AZN | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.87% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.60% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AZN
28.12
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.96
- Q3
- 25.84
- Median
- 18.32
- Q1
- 16.65
- Min
- 3.39
At 28.12, AZN’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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
AZN
2.56
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 1.02
AZN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.56 is within the middle range of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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
AZN
3.98
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.41
AZN’s P/S Ratio of 3.98 aligns with the market consensus for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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
AZN
5.33
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 7.80
- Q3
- 7.80
- Median
- 5.30
- Q1
- 4.06
- Min
- 1.08
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry.
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 | AZN | BRK-B |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 28.12 | 12.93 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.56 | 2.59 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.98 | 2.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.33 | 1.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 22.59 | 86.82 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.82 | 9.59 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.46 | 2.95 |