BRK-B vs. C: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated June 23, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BRK-B and C, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

BRK-B’s market capitalization of 1,046.08 billion USD is substantially larger than C’s 146.52 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

C carries a higher beta at 1.31, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while BRK-B (beta: 0.84) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	BRK-B	C
Company Name	Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	Citigroup Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Financial Services	Financial Services
Industry	Insurance - Diversified	Banks - Diversified
CEO	Mr. Warren E. Buffett	Ms. Jane Nind Fraser Ph.D.
Price	484.85 USD	78.45 USD
Market Cap	1,046.08 billion USD	146.52 billion USD
Beta	0.84	1.31
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	May 9, 1996	January 3, 1977
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BRK-B and C over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Profitability

Return on Equity

BRK-B

12.77%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 19.59%
Q3: 17.66%
Median: 12.74%
Q1: 6.06%
Min: -10.03%

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.

C

6.38%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 20.93%
Q3: 14.56%
Median: 11.72%
Q1: 8.87%
Min: 5.86%

C’s Return on Equity of 6.38% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

BRK-B

12.98%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 23.05%
Q3: 12.98%
Median: 2.39%
Q1: 0.63%
Min: -10.51%

Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Diversified industry.

C

1.32%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 4.52%
Q3: 2.90%
Median: 1.77%
Q1: 0.88%
Min: 0.18%

Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Banks - Diversified industry.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

BRK-B

19.46%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 26.00%
Q3: 14.44%
Median: 9.37%
Q1: 4.68%
Min: -7.05%

A Net Profit Margin of 19.46% 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.

C

7.95%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 33.40%
Q3: 26.30%
Median: 19.27%
Q1: 14.68%
Min: 7.95%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, C’s Net Profit Margin of 7.95% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

BRK-B

42.50%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 44.52%
Q3: 25.84%
Median: 13.31%
Q1: 6.39%
Min: -2.60%

An Operating Profit Margin of 42.50% places BRK-B in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

C

10.67%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 50.90%
Q3: 37.47%
Median: 27.15%
Q1: 14.44%
Min: 8.60%

C’s Operating Profit Margin of 10.67% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BRK-B	C
Return on Equity (TTM)	12.77%	6.38%
Return on Assets (TTM)	6.95%	0.52%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	12.98%	1.32%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	19.46%	7.95%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	42.50%	10.67%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	101.55%	42.37%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

BRK-B

6.35

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 6.35
Q3: 5.38
Median: 3.12
Q1: 2.83
Min: 0.21

BRK-B’s Current Ratio of 6.35 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

C

0.29

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 0.99
Q3: 0.59
Median: 0.44
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.06

For the Banks - Diversified industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

BRK-B

0.21

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 0.54
Q3: 0.39
Median: 0.26
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.05

BRK-B’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.21 is typical for the Insurance - Diversified industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

C

3.53

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 4.98
Q3: 3.69
Median: 3.14
Q1: 1.79
Min: 0.09

C’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.53 is typical for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

BRK-B

34.37

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 34.37
Q3: 19.23
Median: 7.65
Q1: 0.52
Min: -17.11

BRK-B’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.37 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Diversified industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

C

0.21

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 0.98
Q3: 0.77
Median: 0.42
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.09

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks - Diversified industry.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BRK-B	C
Current Ratio (TTM)	6.35	0.29
Quick Ratio (TTM)	6.02	0.29
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.21	3.53
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.12	0.29
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.86	19.84
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	34.37	0.21

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for BRK-B and C. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth (YoY)

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

EPS Growth (YoY)

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their annual year-over-year EPS (Earnings Per Share) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth (YoY)

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

BRK-B

0.00%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 8.34%
Q3: 6.00%
Median: 2.51%
Q1: 0.58%
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.

C

2.86%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 6.37%
Q3: 4.24%
Median: 3.34%
Q1: 2.42%
Min: 0.00%

C’s Dividend Yield of 2.86% is consistent with its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

BRK-B

0.00%

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 101.86%
Q3: 51.44%
Median: 19.61%
Q1: 0.00%
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.

C

39.11%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 84.94%
Q3: 39.11%
Median: 26.91%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

C’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 39.11% is within the typical range for the Banks - Diversified industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BRK-B	C
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	2.86%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	39.11%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

BRK-B

12.93

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 26.77
Q3: 15.66
Median: 12.10
Q1: 6.02
Min: 1.00

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.

C

11.02

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 13.90
Q3: 12.93
Median: 11.77
Q1: 8.76
Min: 7.37

C’s P/E Ratio of 11.02 is within the middle range for the Banks - 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.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

BRK-B

2.51

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 2.51
Q3: 1.72
Median: 1.16
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.51 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.

C

0.42

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 1.90
Q3: 1.37
Median: 1.10
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.42

In the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, C’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.42 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

BRK-B

2.52

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 2.87
Q3: 1.83
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.75
Min: 0.11

BRK-B’s P/S Ratio of 2.52 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.

C

0.87

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 4.08
Q3: 2.78
Median: 2.22
Q1: 1.73
Min: 0.23

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks - Diversified industry.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

BRK-B

1.60

Insurance - Diversified Industry

Max: 2.15
Q3: 1.61
Median: 1.48
Q1: 0.75
Min: 0.08

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.

C

0.69

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max: 1.86
Q3: 1.44
Median: 1.17
Q1: 1.06
Min: 0.63

C’s P/B Ratio of 0.69 is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

BRK-B vs. C: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Insurance - Diversified and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BRK-B	C
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	12.93	11.02
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	2.51	0.42
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	2.52	0.87
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	1.60	0.69
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	86.70	-1.98
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	10.03	26.44
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	2.75	3.49