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BRK.A vs. TSM: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Stock Comparison

How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) 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 Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) belongs to Information Technology (Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) trades as ordinary local shares, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
Profile ItemBRK.ATSM
NameBerkshire Hathaway Inc. Class ATaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesTaiwan
GICS SectorFinancialsInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupFinancial ServicesSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS IndustryFinancial ServicesSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-Sector HoldingsSemiconductors
Market Capitalization1,222.51 billion USD1,947.21 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980October 9, 1997
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BRK.A
TSM
GSPC
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Total Return (1Y)13.87%37.26%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.28%64.12%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)14.57%28.19%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BRK.A
TSM
GSPC
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) has an aggressive beta of 1.45, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) is heavily traded at around 11.20M shares per day, whereas Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is thinly traded at only 206 — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.

Risk profile metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)14.86%41.69%
Beta (5Y)0.561.45
Max Drawdown (5Y)-25.98%-56.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)20611.20M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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BRK.A and TSM are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.650.79
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.961.15

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 41.86% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 12.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for TSM.

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%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

41.86%

Max
52.82%
TSM
41.86%
Q3
22.26%
Median
10.58%
Q1
1.29%
Min
-16.89%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 51.12% 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%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

51.12%

Max
63.80%
TSM
51.12%
Q3
28.36%
Median
11.44%
Q1
0.90%
Min
-37.77%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 58.66% 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%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

58.66%

TSM
58.66%
Max
58.66%
Q3
30.23%
Median
15.91%
Q1
7.54%
Min
-25.74%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
ROE (TTM)12.12%41.86%
ROA (TTM)6.01%20.58%
Net Margin (TTM)22.30%51.12%
Operating Margin (TTM)32.56%58.66%
Gross Margin (TTM)--65.85%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 31.61% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at -3.23% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 46.41% 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Revenue Growth (YoY)-3.23%31.61%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)20.59%18.94%
EPS Growth (YoY)-24.78%46.41%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--19.12%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) shows current ratio of 2.51; 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
--

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.51

Max
10.33
Q3
5.62
Median
3.33
TSM
2.51
Q1
2.35
Min
1.03
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): BRK.A’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for TSM only.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12; 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
--

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.12

Max
1.46
Q3
0.65
Median
0.27
TSM
0.12
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): BRK.A’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for TSM only.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Current Ratio (MRQ)--2.51
Debt / Equity (MRQ)--0.12
Net Debt / EBITDA---0.89

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 Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a yield of 1.70%, 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%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.70%

TSM
1.70%
Max
1.37%
Q3
0.65%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

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 Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a payout of 24.46%, 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%

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

24.46%

Max
49.64%
TSM
24.46%
Q3
21.71%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.70%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%24.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 14.36 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 24.33 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

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

24.33

Max
110.34
Q3
66.81
Median
37.02
TSM
24.33
Q1
23.96
Min
8.12
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.39 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 3.18 prices around its industry’s middle — TSM costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

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

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.39

Max
21.42
Q3
12.27
Median
5.76
Q1
2.73
TSM
0.39
Min
0.00
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) at 1.72 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 71.65 prices above its benchmark range — TSM 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

TSM

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

71.65

TSM
71.65
Max
14.06
Q3
7.44
Median
4.29
Q1
2.30
Min
0.20
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Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Financial Services and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM)
MetricBRK.ATSM
P/E Ratio (TTM)14.3624.33
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.180.39
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.7271.65
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)--61.78%