BRK.A vs. COF: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Capital One Financial Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Capital One Financial (COF) 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
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Capital One Financial (COF) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but BRK.A is classified in Financial Services while COF is classified in Consumer Finance.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Capital One Financial Corp. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Consumer Finance |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Consumer Finance |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.51 billion USD | 121.43 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | November 16, 1994 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 13.87% | -5.89% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 26.49% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.57% | 7.24% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Capital One Financial (COF) trades around 3.66M shares per day on average, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) sees only 206 — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 31.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 1.09 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -45.56% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 3.66M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | -0.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | -0.43 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 9.39% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
12.12%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- BRK.A
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
COF
Financial Services industry group
9.39%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- COF
- 9.39%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 22.30% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 22.23% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
22.30%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- BRK.A
- 22.30%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
COF
Financial Services industry group
22.23%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- COF
- 22.23%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 37.83% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
32.56%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- BRK.A
- 32.56%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
COF
Financial Services industry group
37.83%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- COF
- 37.83%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.12% | 9.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.01% | 1.57% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.30% | 22.23% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.56% | 37.83% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Capital One Financial (COF) at 36.62% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -3.23% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78% and Capital One Financial (COF) at -65.23% post bottom-quartile EPS growth versus peers, pointing to weaker earnings momentum than typical rivals.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 36.62% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 15.98% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | -65.23% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -39.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services and Capital One Financial (COF) 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: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services and Capital One Financial (COF) 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 | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Capital One Financial (COF) reports a yield of 1.57%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF
Financial Services industry group
1.57%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- COF
- 1.57%
- Median
- 1.09%
- 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 Capital One Financial (COF) reports a payout of 19.61%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF
Financial Services industry group
19.61%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- COF
- 19.61%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 19.61% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 and Capital One Financial (COF) at 12.37 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
14.36
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- BRK.A
- 14.36
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
COF
Financial Services industry group
12.37
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- COF
- 12.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 and Capital One Financial (COF) at 2.48 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
3.18
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- BRK.A
- 3.18
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
COF
Financial Services industry group
2.48
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- COF
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.72 and Capital One Financial (COF) at 1.15 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
1.72
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- BRK.A
- 1.72
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
COF
Financial Services industry group
1.15
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- COF
- 1.15
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | COF |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 12.37 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 2.48 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 1.15 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |