BRK.A vs. LLY: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Eli Lilly Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Eli Lilly (LLY) 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) belongs to Health Care (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Eli Lilly and Company |
| 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 | 1,206.07 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | June 1, 1972 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 13.87% | 52.36% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 34.18% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.57% | 41.08% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Eli Lilly (LLY) trades around 2.52M 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 | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 35.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 0.40 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -34.48% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 2.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 1.36 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | 2.29 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 86.02% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for LLY.
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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
86.02%
- Max
- 109.18%
- LLY
- 86.02%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 31.90% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 22.30% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.90%
- LLY
- 31.90%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 53.66% 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
53.66%
- Max
- 83.12%
- LLY
- 53.66%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.12% | 86.02% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.01% | 21.06% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.30% | 31.90% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.56% | 53.66% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | 83.63% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 44.70% 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
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 95.99% 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 | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 44.70% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 31.69% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 95.99% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 51.71% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Eli Lilly (LLY) shows current ratio of 1.39; 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
- --
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.39
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- LLY
- 1.39
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Eli Lilly (LLY) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23; 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
- --
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.23
- Max
- 1.42
- LLY
- 1.23
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.39 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 1.23 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 0.96 |
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 Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a yield of 0.49%, 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.49%
- LLY
- 0.49%
- 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a payout of 21.71%, 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
21.71%
- LLY
- 21.71%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.49% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 21.71% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 43.95 sits in the richer quartile — LLY needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
43.95
- Max
- 85.34
- LLY
- 43.95
- Q3
- 43.46
- 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) at 13.95 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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
13.95
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- LLY
- 13.95
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.72 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 29.96 prices above its benchmark range — LLY looks rich relative to book.
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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
29.96
- LLY
- 29.96
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 43.95 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 13.95 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 29.96 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 0.77% |