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.
| Profile Item | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Taiwan |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Semiconductors |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.51 billion USD | 1,947.21 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | October 9, 1997 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Return Distribution
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.
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.86% | 41.69% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 1.45 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -25.98% | -56.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 206 | 11.20M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.79 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.96 | 1.15 |
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%
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%
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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| 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%
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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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
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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.A | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 24.33 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 0.39 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.72 | 71.65 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 61.78% |