BRK.B vs. TSM: Berkshire Hathaway vs. TSMC Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and TSMC (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.B) is classified in the Financials sector (Financial Services), whereas TSMC (TSM) belongs to Information Technology (Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) trades as ordinary local shares, while TSMC (TSM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. 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 | 1,056.10 billion USD | 2,202.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 9, 1996 | October 9, 1997 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.21% | 79.74% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.30% | 65.77% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.84% | 31.34% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
TSMC (TSM) has an aggressive beta of 1.38, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is defensive at 0.62 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 14.57% | 39.80% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.62 | 1.38 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.58% | -56.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.04M | 14.21M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.06 | 1.90 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.08 | 2.95 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
TSMC (TSM) at 39.97% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 10.50% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for TSM.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
10.50%
- Max
- 41.77%
- Q3
- 21.29%
- Median
- 12.38%
- BRK.B
- 10.50%
- Q1
- 4.87%
- Min
- -16.52%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
39.97%
- TSM
- 39.97%
- Max
- 39.97%
- Q3
- 17.11%
- Median
- 6.75%
- Q1
- -4.17%
- Min
- -35.15%
Net Margin (TTM)
TSMC (TSM) at 49.92% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 19.31%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 66.55%
- Q3
- 30.61%
- BRK.B
- 19.31%
- Median
- 16.68%
- Q1
- 5.47%
- Min
- -26.88%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
49.92%
- Max
- 57.72%
- TSM
- 49.92%
- Q3
- 21.04%
- Median
- 7.16%
- Q1
- -3.57%
- Min
- -32.92%
Operating Margin (TTM)
TSMC (TSM) at 60.34% 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
- 50.63%
- Median
- 27.59%
- BRK.B
- 14.35%
- Q1
- 11.92%
- Min
- -36.26%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
60.34%
- Max
- 61.85%
- TSM
- 60.34%
- Q3
- 21.10%
- Median
- 10.43%
- Q1
- -6.83%
- Min
- -46.64%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.50% | 39.97% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.39% | 19.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.31% | 49.92% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.35% | 60.34% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | 64.23% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
TSMC (TSM) at 31.61% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at -3.23% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
TSMC (TSM) at 44.69% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at -24.78% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 31.61% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 18.94% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | 44.69% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 18.65% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
TSMC (TSM) shows current ratio of 2.46; 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
- --
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
2.46
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 6.01
- Median
- 3.31
- TSM
- 2.46
- Q1
- 2.40
- Min
- 0.51
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
TSMC (TSM) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15; 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
- --
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.15
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.63
- Median
- 0.23
- TSM
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 2.46 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.15 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -0.80 |
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 TSMC (TSM) reports a yield of 2.98%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 12.80%
- Q3
- 5.20%
- Median
- 1.04%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
2.98%
- TSM
- 2.98%
- Max
- 0.58%
- Q3
- 0.26%
- 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 TSMC (TSM) reports a payout of 27.93%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 228.57%
- Q3
- 92.38%
- Median
- 24.87%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
27.93%
- Max
- 47.82%
- TSM
- 27.93%
- Q3
- 20.31%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 2.98% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 27.93% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
TSMC (TSM) at 34.98 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.62 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for TSM, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.62
- Max
- 48.85
- Q3
- 25.51
- Median
- 15.15
- BRK.B
- 14.62
- Q1
- 9.59
- Min
- 2.06
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
34.98
- Max
- 239.97
- Q3
- 120.44
- Median
- 60.23
- Q1
- 38.22
- TSM
- 34.98
- Min
- 10.70
P/S Ratio (TTM)
TSMC (TSM) at 0.50 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 2.81 prices around its industry’s middle — TSM costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
2.81
- Max
- 9.88
- Q3
- 4.93
- Median
- 2.93
- BRK.B
- 2.81
- Q1
- 1.55
- Min
- -0.64
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.50
- Max
- 38.55
- Q3
- 19.36
- Median
- 9.29
- Q1
- 3.87
- TSM
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 prices below its industry’s P/B ratio range while TSMC (TSM) at 88.45 prices above it — an unusually wide split in valuation relative to book.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 7.56
- Q3
- 3.60
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.00
- BRK.B
- 0.00
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
88.45
- TSM
- 88.45
- Max
- 22.39
- Q3
- 11.52
- Median
- 7.03
- Q1
- 3.43
- Min
- 0.18
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.62 | 34.98 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.81 | 0.50 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.00 | 88.45 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 33.56% |