BRK.B vs. XYZ: Berkshire Hathaway vs. Block Stock Comparison
How do Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and Block (XYZ) 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 Block (XYZ) both belong to the Financial Services industry, though BRK.B is classified under Multi-Sector Holdings while XYZ falls under Transaction & Payment Processing Services.
| Profile Item | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B | Block Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Sector Holdings | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 1,222.11 billion USD | 51.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 9, 1996 | November 19, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 14.06% | 35.34% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.80% | 20.17% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.73% | -17.43% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Block (XYZ) has a highly aggressive beta of 2.48, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 15.13% | 48.01% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.56 | 2.48 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.58% | -83.55% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.56M | 4.73M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.65 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.97 | 1.03 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 12.12% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Block (XYZ) at 2.02% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
12.12%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- BRK.B
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.02%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- XYZ
- 2.02%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 22.30% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Block (XYZ) at 1.80% retains only a bottom-quartile share.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
22.30%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- BRK.B
- 22.30%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
1.80%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- XYZ
- 1.80%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 32.56% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Block (XYZ) at 6.65% operates in the bottom quartile.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
32.56%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- BRK.B
- 32.56%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
6.65%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- XYZ
- 6.65%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.12% | 2.02% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.01% | 1.94% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.30% | 1.80% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.56% | 6.65% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at -3.23% and Block (XYZ) at 0.30% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.
EPS Growth
Both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at -24.78% and Block (XYZ) at -53.95% post bottom-quartile EPS growth versus peers, pointing to weaker earnings momentum than typical rivals.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -3.23% | 0.30% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 20.59% | 11.33% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -24.78% | -53.95% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) in Financial Services and Block (XYZ) 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 Block (XYZ) 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 | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) nor Block (XYZ) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- XYZ
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) nor Block (XYZ) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- BRK.B
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- XYZ
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 14.36 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Block (XYZ) at 112.47 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for XYZ’s trailing earnings.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
14.36
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- BRK.B
- 14.36
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
112.47
- XYZ
- 112.47
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 3.18 and Block (XYZ) at 2.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
BRK.B
Financial Services industry group
3.18
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- BRK.B
- 3.18
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.01
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- XYZ
- 2.01
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) at 0.00 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Block (XYZ) at 2.26 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
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- BRK.B
- 0.00
- Min
- -0.39
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.26
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- XYZ
- 2.26
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRK.B | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 14.36 | 112.47 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.18 | 2.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.00 | 2.26 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |