BRK.A vs. CSCO: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Cisco Systems Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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) is classified in the Financials sector (Financial Services), whereas Cisco Systems (CSCO) belongs to Information Technology (Technology Hardware & Equipment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Cisco Systems, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Communications Equipment |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Communications Equipment |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.51 billion USD | 370.01 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | February 16, 1990 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 13.87% | 40.88% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 26.81% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.57% | 14.44% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Cisco Systems (CSCO) is heavily traded at around 18.52M shares per day, whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is thinly traded at only 206 — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 36.83% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 1.02 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -36.68% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 18.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.99 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | 1.44 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.32% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CSCO.
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%
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
27.32%
- Max
- 42.47%
- CSCO
- 27.32%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
Net Margin (TTM)
Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 20.95% 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.
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%
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
20.95%
- Max
- 27.60%
- CSCO
- 20.95%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.72% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
27.72%
- Max
- 36.27%
- CSCO
- 27.72%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.12% | 27.32% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.01% | 7.98% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.30% | 20.95% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.56% | 27.72% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | 64.52% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 11.78% 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
Only one side can be read here: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) reports EPS growth of -24.78%, ranked against its industry; Cisco Systems (CSCO) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 11.78% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 3.57% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Cisco Systems (CSCO) shows current ratio of 0.93; 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.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.A
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.93
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.32
- CSCO
- 0.93
- Min
- 0.17
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Cisco Systems (CSCO) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62; 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.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.A
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.62
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- CSCO
- 0.62
- Median
- 0.24
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 0.93 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.62 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 0.82 |
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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) reports a yield of 1.73%, 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%
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.73%
- CSCO
- 1.73%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- Median
- 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) reports a payout of 49.85%, 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%
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
49.85%
- CSCO
- 49.85%
- Max
- 32.27%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 49.85% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 and Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 28.18 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
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
28.18
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- CSCO
- 28.18
- Median
- 26.39
- Q1
- 19.36
- Min
- 6.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 5.84 sits in the pricier quartile — CSCO costs more per dollar of sales.
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
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
5.84
- Max
- 11.30
- CSCO
- 5.84
- Q3
- 5.82
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.72 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 7.36 carries an above-peer premium to book — CSCO is pricier on assets.
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
CSCO
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
7.36
- Max
- 10.75
- CSCO
- 7.36
- Q3
- 5.52
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 28.18 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 5.84 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 7.36 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 3.02% |