BRK.B vs. GS: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Goldman Sachs Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and Goldman Sachs (GS) 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) and Goldman Sachs (GS) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but BRK.B is classified in Financial Services while GS is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B | The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. |
| 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 | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 1,079.27 billion USD | 298.36 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 9, 1996 | May 4, 1999 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.01% | 45.78% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Goldman Sachs (GS) has an aggressive beta of 1.30, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is defensive at 0.61 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
Risk Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.56% | 28.65% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.61 | 1.30 |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.10M | 2.17M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 10.50% and Goldman Sachs (GS) at 14.55% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
10.50%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.42%
- Median
- 12.17%
- BRK.B
- 10.50%
- Q1
- 5.00%
- Min
- -17.69%
GS
Financial Services industry group
14.55%
- Max
- 42.17%
- Q3
- 21.42%
- GS
- 14.55%
- Median
- 12.17%
- Q1
- 5.00%
- Min
- -17.69%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 19.31% and Goldman Sachs (GS) at 29.36% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.43%
- BRK.B
- 19.31%
- Median
- 16.62%
- Q1
- 4.47%
- Min
- -26.88%
GS
Financial Services industry group
29.36%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.43%
- GS
- 29.36%
- Median
- 16.62%
- Q1
- 4.47%
- Min
- -26.88%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.35% and Goldman Sachs (GS) at 38.60% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.35%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 50.35%
- Median
- 26.49%
- BRK.B
- 14.35%
- Q1
- 11.62%
- Min
- -36.26%
GS
Financial Services industry group
38.60%
- Max
- 95.95%
- Q3
- 50.35%
- GS
- 38.60%
- Median
- 26.49%
- Q1
- 11.62%
- Min
- -36.26%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.50% | 14.55% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.39% | 0.94% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 29.36% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 38.60% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 8.92% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 7.16% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 26.59% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 19.52% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) in Financial Services and Goldman Sachs (GS) 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.B) in Financial Services and Goldman Sachs (GS) 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.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
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 Goldman Sachs (GS) reports a yield of 1.52%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 20.96%
- Q3
- 8.69%
- Median
- 1.54%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GS
Financial Services industry group
1.52%
- Max
- 20.96%
- Q3
- 8.69%
- Median
- 1.54%
- GS
- 1.52%
- 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 Goldman Sachs (GS) reports a payout of 28.31%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 95.23%
- Median
- 24.86%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GS
Financial Services industry group
28.31%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 95.23%
- GS
- 28.31%
- Median
- 24.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.52% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 28.31% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.90 and Goldman Sachs (GS) at 18.46 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
14.90
- Max
- 48.68
- Q3
- 25.25
- BRK.B
- 14.90
- Median
- 14.81
- Q1
- 9.35
- Min
- 0.55
GS
Financial Services industry group
18.46
- Max
- 48.68
- Q3
- 25.25
- GS
- 18.46
- Median
- 14.81
- Q1
- 9.35
- Min
- 0.55
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 2.88 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Goldman Sachs (GS) at 4.85 sits in the pricier quartile — GS costs more per dollar of sales.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.88
- Max
- 9.70
- Q3
- 4.78
- Median
- 2.89
- BRK.B
- 2.88
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- -1.03
GS
Financial Services industry group
4.85
- Max
- 9.70
- GS
- 4.85
- Q3
- 4.78
- Median
- 2.89
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- -1.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Goldman Sachs (GS) at 2.84 is valued near its industry’s middle — BRK.B is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 7.22
- Q3
- 3.47
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 0.91
- BRK.B
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
GS
Financial Services industry group
2.84
- Max
- 7.22
- Q3
- 3.47
- GS
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | GS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.90 | 18.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.88 | 4.85 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.00 | 2.84 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |