^DRG vs. BRK-A

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ARCA Pharmaceutical Index (^DRG) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-A).

Performance

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ARCA Pharmaceutical Index (^DRG) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-A). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^DRG ARCA Pharmaceutical Index	1.80%	20.51%	2.66%	4.87%	4.91%	19.99%	5.48%	14.92%	4.38%	13.16%
BRK-A Berkshire Hathaway Inc	-5.11%	10.85%	25.49%	15.77%	4.00%	29.57%	2.42%	10.98%	2.82%	21.91%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^DRG achieves a 1.80% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-A's -5.11% return. Over the past 10 years, ^DRG has underperformed BRK-A with an annualized return of 8.71%, while BRK-A has yielded a comparatively higher 12.75% annualized return.

^DRG

• 1D: 1.21%
• 1M: -3.94%
• YTD: 1.80%
• 6M: 11.61%
• 1Y: 19.88%
• 3Y*: 10.85%
• 5Y*: 10.61%
• 10Y*: 8.71%

BRK-A

• 1D: -0.26%
• 1M: -0.52%
• YTD: -5.11%
• 6M: -3.97%
• 1Y: -10.50%
• 3Y*: 15.44%
• 5Y*: 12.91%
• 10Y*: 12.75%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^DRG vs. BRK-A — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^DRG

^DRG Risk / Return Rank: 54
^DRG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
^DRG Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
^DRG Omega Ratio Rank: 51
^DRG Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^DRG Martin Ratio Rank: 42

BRK-A

BRK-A Risk / Return Rank: 16
BRK-A Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
BRK-A Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
BRK-A Omega Ratio Rank: 15
BRK-A Calmar Ratio Rank: 16
BRK-A Martin Ratio Rank: 18

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ARCA Pharmaceutical Index (^DRG) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-A). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^DRG	BRK-A	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.92	-0.60	+1.52
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.38	-0.70	+2.08
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	0.90	+0.27
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.48	-0.71	+2.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.82	-1.19	+5.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^DRG Sharpe Ratio is 0.92, which is higher than the BRK-A Sharpe Ratio of -0.60. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^DRG and BRK-A, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^DRG	BRK-A	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.92	-0.60	+1.52
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.67	0.75	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.67	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.82	-0.43

Correlation

The correlation between ^DRG and BRK-A is 0.34, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^DRG drawdown since its inception was -51.48%, roughly equal to the maximum BRK-A drawdown of -51.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^DRG and BRK-A.

Drawdown Indicators

	^DRG	BRK-A	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.48%	-51.47%	-0.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.23%	-14.43%	+3.20%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.50%	-25.98%	+1.48%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-26.25%	-30.43%	+4.18%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.21%	-11.50%	+6.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.91%	-9.51%	-5.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.34%	8.66%	-4.32%

Volatility

^DRG vs. BRK-A - Volatility Comparison

ARCA Pharmaceutical Index (^DRG) has a higher volatility of 5.26% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-A) at 4.28%. This indicates that ^DRG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BRK-A based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^DRG	BRK-A	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.26%	4.28%	+0.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.00%	11.04%	+1.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.90%	17.63%	+4.27%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.01%	17.26%	-1.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.50%	18.99%	-2.49%