BRK.B vs. GOOGL: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Alphabet Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and Alphabet (GOOGL) 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.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 | 1,064.86 billion USD | 4,358.51 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 9, 1996 | August 19, 2004 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.23% | 101.67% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 13.11% | 45.72% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.97% | 23.48% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.53% | 29.86% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.62 | 1.24 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.58% | -44.32% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.12M | 31.30M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.06 | 3.27 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.08 | 6.09 |
Profitability
ROE (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
- 21.46%
- Median
- 12.16%
- BRK.B
- 10.50%
- Q1
- 4.98%
- Min
- -17.69%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
38.89%
- GOOGL
- 38.89%
- Max
- 38.89%
- Q3
- 15.20%
- Median
- 6.34%
- Q1
- -3.85%
- Min
- -29.59%
Net 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
- 30.39%
- BRK.B
- 19.31%
- Median
- 16.62%
- Q1
- 4.47%
- Min
- -26.88%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
37.92%
- GOOGL
- 37.92%
- Max
- 30.77%
- Q3
- 10.56%
- Median
- 3.30%
- Q1
- -3.34%
- Min
- -24.17%
Operating 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
- 50.35%
- Median
- 27.03%
- BRK.B
- 14.35%
- Q1
- 12.08%
- Min
- -36.26%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
36.12%
- Max
- 41.37%
- GOOGL
- 36.12%
- Q3
- 16.70%
- Median
- 7.18%
- Q1
- -3.58%
- Min
- -27.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.50% | 38.89% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.39% | 14.64% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 37.92% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 36.12% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | 60.37% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 15.09% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 12.51% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 34.45% |
| EPS Growth (3Y 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
- 4.37
- Q3
- 2.34
- GOOGL
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.41
- Q1
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.31
Debt / Equity (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
- 1.23
- Median
- 0.47
- GOOGL
- 0.20
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.92 |
| Debt / Equity (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 0.23%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 19.23%
- Q3
- 7.75%
- Median
- 1.47%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.23%
- Max
- 2.57%
- Q3
- 1.04%
- GOOGL
- 0.23%
- 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
- 95.23%
- Median
- 25.37%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
6.41%
- Max
- 45.76%
- Q3
- 21.24%
- GOOGL
- 6.41%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.23% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 6.41% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.71 and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 27.24 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
14.71
- Max
- 53.29
- Q3
- 27.28
- Median
- 15.23
- BRK.B
- 14.71
- Q1
- 9.62
- Min
- 1.97
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
27.24
- Max
- 78.46
- Q3
- 40.57
- GOOGL
- 27.24
- Median
- 23.67
- Q1
- 12.51
- Min
- 1.66
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 2.84 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Alphabet (GOOGL) at 10.32 clears its benchmark range — GOOGL looks notably rich on sales.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.84
- Max
- 10.24
- Q3
- 5.01
- Median
- 2.89
- BRK.B
- 2.84
- Q1
- 1.48
- Min
- -0.98
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
10.32
- GOOGL
- 10.32
- Max
- 8.52
- Q3
- 4.01
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 0.65
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while Alphabet (GOOGL) at 9.04 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 7.38
- Q3
- 3.52
- Median
- 1.75
- Q1
- 0.90
- BRK.B
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
GOOGL
Media & Entertainment industry group
9.04
- Max
- 12.96
- GOOGL
- 9.04
- Q3
- 5.77
- Median
- 1.94
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- -3.77
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.71 | 27.24 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.84 | 10.32 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.00 | 9.04 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 0.64% |