BRK.A vs. MS: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Morgan Stanley Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Morgan Stanley (MS) 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) and Morgan Stanley (MS) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but BRK.A is classified in Financial Services while MS is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Morgan Stanley |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 1,056.00 billion USD | 358.19 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | February 23, 1993 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 0.60% | 75.25% |
Risk
Drawdown
Morgan Stanley (MS) trades around 6.03M shares per day on average, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) sees only 198 — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.
Risk at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 13.98% | 25.93% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.61 | 1.21 |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 198 | 6.03M |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 10.50% and Morgan Stanley (MS) at 16.39% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
10.50%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.45%
- Median
- 12.25%
- BRK.A
- 10.50%
- Q1
- 5.03%
- Min
- -17.69%
MS
Financial Services industry group
16.39%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.45%
- MS
- 16.39%
- Median
- 12.25%
- Q1
- 5.03%
- Min
- -17.69%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 19.31% and Morgan Stanley (MS) at 24.75% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.55%
- BRK.A
- 19.31%
- Median
- 16.68%
- Q1
- 4.51%
- Min
- -26.88%
MS
Financial Services industry group
24.75%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.55%
- MS
- 24.75%
- Median
- 16.68%
- Q1
- 4.51%
- Min
- -26.88%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.35% and Morgan Stanley (MS) at 40.62% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
14.35%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 48.12%
- Median
- 26.49%
- BRK.A
- 14.35%
- Q1
- 11.92%
- Min
- -36.26%
MS
Financial Services industry group
40.62%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 48.12%
- MS
- 40.62%
- Median
- 26.49%
- Q1
- 11.92%
- Min
- -36.26%
Profitability at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.50% | 16.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.39% | 1.27% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 24.75% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 40.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 14.48% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 9.52% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 28.43% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 18.41% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services and Morgan Stanley (MS) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services and Morgan Stanley (MS) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
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 Morgan Stanley (MS) reports a yield of 1.79%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 18.02%
- Q3
- 8.19%
- Median
- 1.52%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MS
Financial Services industry group
1.79%
- Max
- 18.02%
- Q3
- 8.19%
- MS
- 1.79%
- Median
- 1.52%
- 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 Morgan Stanley (MS) reports a payout of 35.55%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 94.58%
- Median
- 25.37%
- BRK.A
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MS
Financial Services industry group
35.55%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 94.58%
- MS
- 35.55%
- Median
- 25.37%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividends at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.79% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 35.55% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.58 and Morgan Stanley (MS) at 20.57 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
14.58
- Max
- 45.51
- Q3
- 25.29
- Median
- 14.65
- BRK.A
- 14.58
- Q1
- 9.07
- Min
- 0.64
MS
Financial Services industry group
20.57
- Max
- 45.51
- Q3
- 25.29
- MS
- 20.57
- Median
- 14.65
- Q1
- 9.07
- Min
- 0.64
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 2.81 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Morgan Stanley (MS) at 4.89 sits in the pricier quartile — MS costs more per dollar of sales.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 9.92
- Q3
- 4.86
- Median
- 2.85
- BRK.A
- 2.81
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- -1.10
MS
Financial Services industry group
4.89
- Max
- 9.92
- MS
- 4.89
- Q3
- 4.86
- Median
- 2.85
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- -1.10
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.45 and Morgan Stanley (MS) at 3.43 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
BRK.A
Financial Services industry group
1.45
- Max
- 7.44
- Q3
- 3.58
- Median
- 1.67
- BRK.A
- 1.45
- Q1
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.00
MS
Financial Services industry group
3.43
- Max
- 7.44
- Q3
- 3.58
- MS
- 3.43
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.58 | 20.57 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.81 | 4.89 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.45 | 3.43 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |