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BRK.A vs. JNJ: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Johnson & Johnson Stock Comparison

How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) belongs to Health Care (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Profile ItemBRK.AJNJ
NameBerkshire Hathaway Inc. Class AJohnson & Johnson
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupFinancial ServicesPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS IndustryFinancial ServicesPharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-Sector HoldingsPharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization1,222.51 billion USD664.95 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980January 2, 1962
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BRK.A
JNJ
GSPC
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), 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

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Trailing total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). 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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Total Return (1Y)13.87%53.82%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.28%27.51%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)14.57%14.71%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BRK.A
JNJ
GSPC
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), 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

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) trades around 6.93M 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.

Risk profile metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)14.86%21.23%
Beta (5Y)0.560.21
Max Drawdown (5Y)-25.98%-18.41%
Avg. Volume (3M)2066.93M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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BRK.A and JNJ 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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.652.33
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.963.66

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 20.02% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for JNJ.

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%

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

20.02%

Max
109.18%
JNJ
20.02%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 16.20% 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%

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

16.20%

Max
18.05%
JNJ
16.20%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 25.74% 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%

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.74%

Max
83.12%
JNJ
25.74%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
ROE (TTM)12.12%20.02%
ROA (TTM)6.01%8.46%
Net Margin (TTM)22.30%16.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)32.56%25.74%
Gross Margin (TTM)--67.78%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 6.05% 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 90.50% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.

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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Revenue Growth (YoY)-3.23%6.05%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)20.59%5.60%
EPS Growth (YoY)-24.78%90.50%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--17.90%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shows current ratio of 1.02; 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
--

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.02

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
Q1
2.47
JNJ
1.02
Min
0.10
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): BRK.A’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for JNJ only.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55; 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
--

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.55

Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
JNJ
0.55
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): BRK.A’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for JNJ only.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Current Ratio (MRQ)--1.02
Debt / Equity (MRQ)--0.55
Net Debt / EBITDA--0.79

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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reports a yield of 1.94%, 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%

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.94%

JNJ
1.94%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences 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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reports a payout of 80.12%, 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%

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

80.12%

JNJ
80.12%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.94%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%80.12%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 41.92 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

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

41.92

Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
JNJ
41.92
Median
26.69
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 6.69 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

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

6.69

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
Median
7.30
JNJ
6.69
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences 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 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at 8.16 carries an above-peer premium to book — JNJ 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

JNJ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.16

Max
13.53
JNJ
8.16
Q3
6.54
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
MetricBRK.AJNJ
P/E Ratio (TTM)14.3641.92
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.186.69
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.728.16
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)--2.78%