Seek Returns

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.

Company profile comparison for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
Profile ItemBRK.ACSCO
NameBerkshire Hathaway Inc. Class ACisco Systems, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupFinancial ServicesTechnology Hardware & Equipment
GICS IndustryFinancial ServicesCommunications Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-Sector HoldingsCommunications Equipment
Market Capitalization1,222.51 billion USD370.01 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980February 16, 1990
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BRK.A
CSCO
GSPC
Loading price history…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
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

BRK.A
CSCO
GSPC
Loading price history…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

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.

Risk profile metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)14.86%36.83%
Beta (5Y)0.561.02
Max Drawdown (5Y)-25.98%-36.68%
Avg. Volume (3M)20618.52M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
BRK.A and CSCO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.650.99
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.961.44

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%
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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%
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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%
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
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.

Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

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.

Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
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
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): BRK.A’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for CSCO only.

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
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): BRK.A’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for CSCO only.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
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%
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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%
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
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
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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
Loading chart…
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Cisco Systems (CSCO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Financial Services and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Cisco Systems (CSCO)
MetricBRK.ACSCO
P/E Ratio (TTM)14.3628.18
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.185.84
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.727.36
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)--3.02%