^NDX vs. BRK-B

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B).

Performance

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^NDX NASDAQ 100 Index	-4.77%	20.17%	24.88%	53.81%	-32.97%	26.63%	47.58%	37.96%	-1.04%	31.52%
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	-5.03%	10.89%	27.09%	15.46%	3.31%	28.95%	2.37%	10.93%	3.01%	21.62%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^NDX achieves a -4.77% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's -5.03% return. Over the past 10 years, ^NDX has outperformed BRK-B with an annualized return of 18.21%, while BRK-B has yielded a comparatively lower 12.79% annualized return.

^NDX

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -2.73%
• YTD: -4.77%
• 6M: -3.40%
• 1Y: 22.80%
• 3Y*: 22.29%
• 5Y*: 12.52%
• 10Y*: 18.21%

BRK-B

• 1D: -0.24%
• 1M: -0.83%
• YTD: -5.03%
• 6M: -3.74%
• 1Y: -11.23%
• 3Y*: 15.44%
• 5Y*: 13.08%
• 10Y*: 12.79%

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

Return for Risk

^NDX vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank

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

^NDX

^NDX Risk / Return Rank: 71
^NDX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
^NDX Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
^NDX Omega Ratio Rank: 70
^NDX Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
^NDX Martin Ratio Rank: 76

BRK-B

BRK-B Risk / Return Rank: 15
BRK-B Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
BRK-B Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
BRK-B Omega Ratio Rank: 14
BRK-B Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
BRK-B Martin Ratio Rank: 17

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.

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B). 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.

	^NDX	BRK-B	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.01	-0.62	+1.62
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.58	-0.73	+2.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	0.90	+0.32
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.86	-0.70	+2.56
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.73	-1.19	+7.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^NDX Sharpe Ratio is 1.01, which is higher than the BRK-B Sharpe Ratio of -0.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^NDX and BRK-B, 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

	^NDX	BRK-B	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.01	-0.62	+1.62
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.76	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.81	0.66	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.48	+0.07

Correlation

The correlation between ^NDX and BRK-B is 0.37, 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

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^NDX drawdown since its inception was -82.90%, which is greater than BRK-B's maximum drawdown of -53.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^NDX and BRK-B.

Drawdown Indicators

	^NDX	BRK-B	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.90%	-53.86%	-29.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.12%	-14.95%	+2.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.56%	-26.58%	-8.98%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.56%	-29.57%	-5.99%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.94%	-11.57%	+3.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.72%	-11.07%	-13.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.52%	8.75%	-5.23%

Volatility

^NDX vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison

NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) has a higher volatility of 6.43% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) at 4.12%. This indicates that ^NDX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BRK-B based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^NDX	BRK-B	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.43%	4.12%	+2.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.93%	11.11%	+1.82%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.76%	18.30%	+4.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.60%	17.20%	+5.40%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.48%	19.44%	+3.04%