BRK.A vs. MSFT: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Microsoft Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Microsoft (MSFT) 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 Microsoft (MSFT) belongs to Information Technology (Software & Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Microsoft Corp. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Systems Software |
| Market Capitalization | 1,056.00 billion USD | 2,728.76 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | March 13, 1986 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 0.60% | -22.44% |
Risk
Drawdown
Microsoft (MSFT) is heavily traded at around 36.00M shares per day, whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is thinly traded at only 198 — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.
Risk at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 13.98% | 25.99% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.61 | 1.14 |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 198 | 36.00M |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Microsoft (MSFT) at 34.01% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 10.50% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for MSFT.
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%
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
34.01%
- Max
- 53.38%
- MSFT
- 34.01%
- Q3
- 16.53%
- Median
- 5.38%
- Q1
- -13.43%
- Min
- -55.27%
Net Margin (TTM)
Microsoft (MSFT) at 39.34% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 19.31%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
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%
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
39.34%
- Max
- 44.20%
- MSFT
- 39.34%
- Q3
- 14.93%
- Median
- 3.32%
- Q1
- -5.99%
- Min
- -34.99%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Microsoft (MSFT) at 46.33% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.35%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
46.33%
- Max
- 60.45%
- MSFT
- 46.33%
- Q3
- 16.51%
- Median
- 4.46%
- Q1
- -12.92%
- Min
- -53.94%
Profitability at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.50% | 34.01% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.39% | 14.81% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 39.34% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 46.33% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | 68.31% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 14.93% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 12.42% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 15.59% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 12.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Microsoft (MSFT) shows current ratio of 1.28; 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
- --
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
1.28
- Max
- 5.55
- Q3
- 2.88
- Median
- 1.72
- MSFT
- 1.28
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Microsoft (MSFT) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30; 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
- --
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
0.30
- Max
- 2.31
- Q3
- 1.06
- Median
- 0.32
- MSFT
- 0.30
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.28 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.30 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 0.26 |
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 Microsoft (MSFT) reports a yield of 0.94%, 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%
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
0.94%
- MSFT
- 0.94%
- 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 Microsoft (MSFT) reports a payout of 20.73%, 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%
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
20.73%
- MSFT
- 20.73%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividends at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.94% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 20.73% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.58 and Microsoft (MSFT) at 21.88 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
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
21.88
- Max
- 109.93
- Q3
- 55.36
- Median
- 28.48
- MSFT
- 21.88
- Q1
- 14.69
- Min
- 0.38
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 2.81 and Microsoft (MSFT) at 8.57 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
8.57
- Max
- 18.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- MSFT
- 8.57
- Median
- 4.11
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.45 and Microsoft (MSFT) at 6.59 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
MSFT
Software & Services industry group
6.59
- Max
- 17.09
- Q3
- 8.08
- MSFT
- 6.59
- Median
- 3.66
- Q1
- 1.95
- Min
- -7.06
Valuation at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.A | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.58 | 21.88 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.81 | 8.57 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.45 | 6.59 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 1.36% |