BRK.A vs. NTRS: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Northern Trust Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Northern Trust (NTRS) 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 Northern Trust (NTRS) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but BRK.A is classified in Financial Services while NTRS is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Northern Trust Corporation |
| 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 | Asset Management & Custody Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.51 billion USD | 31.29 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 13.87% | 39.45% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 40.68% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.57% | 11.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Northern Trust (NTRS) trades around 1.11M 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 | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 24.90% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 1.18 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -50.03% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 1.11M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 1.41 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | 2.17 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 18.44% 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
12.12%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- BRK.A
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
18.44%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- NTRS
- 18.44%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 22.30% and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 26.00% 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
22.30%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- BRK.A
- 22.30%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
26.00%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- NTRS
- 26.00%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 32.56% and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 34.80% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
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%
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
34.80%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- NTRS
- 34.80%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.12% | 18.44% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.01% | 1.44% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.30% | 26.00% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.56% | 34.80% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -3.23% and Northern Trust (NTRS) at -2.46% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.
EPS Growth
Northern Trust (NTRS) at -10.54% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -24.78% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | -2.46% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 6.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | -10.54% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 12.49% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) in Financial Services and Northern Trust (NTRS) 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 Northern Trust (NTRS) 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 Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Northern Trust (NTRS) reports a yield of 1.91%, 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%
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
1.91%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- NTRS
- 1.91%
- Median
- 1.09%
- 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 Northern Trust (NTRS) reports a payout of 25.73%, 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%
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
25.73%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- NTRS
- 25.73%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 25.73% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 13.55 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
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
13.55
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- NTRS
- 13.55
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 3.35 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
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- NTRS
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.72 and Northern Trust (NTRS) at 2.51 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
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
NTRS
Financial Services industry group
2.51
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- NTRS
- 2.51
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | NTRS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 13.55 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 2.51 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |