BRK.B vs. GOOGL: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Alphabet Stock Comparison
This page compares Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) with Alphabet (GOOGL) using performance and risk, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividends, and valuation metrics.
Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Return | -0.22% | 105.30% |
Risk
Drawdown
Risk at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Volatility | 14.40% | 29.34% |
| Beta | 0.62 | 1.25 |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 4.85M | 29.40M |
Company Profile
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is classified in the Financials sector (Financial Services), whereas Alphabet (GOOGL) belongs to Communication Services (Media & Entertainment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B | Alphabet Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Communication Services |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Media & Entertainment |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Interactive Media & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Interactive Media & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 1,055.24 billion USD | 4,386.27 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 9, 1996 | August 19, 2004 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.56 and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 27.48 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.56
- Max
- 47.33
- Q3
- 25.83
- Median
- 14.56
- BRK.B
- 14.56
- Q1
- 9.03
- Min
- 0.60
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
27.48
- Max
- 71.35
- Q3
- 37.05
- GOOGL
- 27.48
- Median
- 21.91
- Q1
- 11.66
- Min
- 1.74
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 2.81 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Alphabet (GOOGL) at 10.38 clears its benchmark range — GOOGL looks notably rich on sales.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 9.45
- Q3
- 4.84
- Median
- 2.86
- BRK.B
- 2.81
- Q1
- 1.48
- Min
- -1.12
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
10.38
- GOOGL
- 10.38
- Max
- 8.58
- Q3
- 3.91
- Median
- 1.48
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while Alphabet (GOOGL) at 9.10 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 7.24
- Q3
- 3.50
- Median
- 1.63
- Q1
- 0.92
- BRK.B
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
9.10
- Max
- 11.21
- GOOGL
- 9.10
- Q3
- 5.56
- Median
- 1.93
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- -2.89
Valuation at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 14.56 | 27.48 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.81 | 10.38 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 0.00 | 9.10 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield | -- | 0.64% |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
Alphabet (GOOGL) at 38.89% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 10.50% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for GOOGL.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
10.50%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.40%
- Median
- 12.18%
- BRK.B
- 10.50%
- Q1
- 5.01%
- Min
- -18.74%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
38.89%
- Max
- 46.65%
- GOOGL
- 38.89%
- Q3
- 16.35%
- Median
- 6.52%
- Q1
- -4.21%
- Min
- -29.59%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
Alphabet (GOOGL) at 37.92% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 19.31% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.41%
- BRK.B
- 19.31%
- Median
- 16.58%
- Q1
- 4.49%
- Min
- -26.88%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
37.92%
- GOOGL
- 37.92%
- Max
- 30.77%
- Q3
- 10.51%
- Median
- 3.81%
- Q1
- -3.12%
- Min
- -20.69%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
Alphabet (GOOGL) at 36.12% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.35%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.35%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 50.01%
- Median
- 27.45%
- BRK.B
- 14.35%
- Q1
- 12.28%
- Min
- -36.26%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
36.12%
- Max
- 41.37%
- GOOGL
- 36.12%
- Q3
- 16.41%
- Median
- 8.47%
- Q1
- -3.09%
- Min
- -26.23%
Profitability at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 10.50% | 38.89% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.39% | 14.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 37.92% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 36.12% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | -- | 60.37% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Revenue Growth | -3.23% | 15.09% |
| 3-Year Revenue CAGR | 20.59% | 12.51% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year EPS Growth | -24.78% | 34.45% |
| 3-Year EPS CAGR | -- | 33.34% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Alphabet (GOOGL) shows current ratio of 1.92; Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) 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.B
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.B
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
1.92
- Max
- 4.23
- Q3
- 2.26
- GOOGL
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.36
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.31
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
Alphabet (GOOGL) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20; for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) 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.B
Financial Services industry group
--
- BRK.B
- --
- Max
- --
- Q3
- --
- Median
- --
- Q1
- --
- Min
- --
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.20
- Max
- 2.46
- Q3
- 1.30
- Median
- 0.54
- GOOGL
- 0.20
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.92 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 0.20 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -0.19 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Alphabet (GOOGL) reports a yield of 0.24%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 18.40%
- Q3
- 7.73%
- Median
- 1.93%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.24%
- Max
- 2.67%
- Q3
- 1.17%
- GOOGL
- 0.24%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Alphabet (GOOGL) reports a payout of 6.41%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 95.72%
- Median
- 25.56%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
6.41%
- Max
- 57.34%
- Q3
- 24.40%
- GOOGL
- 6.41%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividends at a Glance
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.24% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 6.41% |