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.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Johnson & Johnson |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.51 billion USD | 664.95 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | January 2, 1962 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Return Distribution
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.
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 21.23% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 0.21 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -18.41% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 6.93M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 2.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | 3.66 |
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%
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%
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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| 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%
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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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
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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | JNJ |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 41.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 6.69 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 8.16 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 2.78% |