BRK-A vs. SOXL

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

BRK-A (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) is a stock, while SOXL (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF) is Leveraged Equities fund tracking the ICE Semiconductor Index. Over the past 10 years, BRK-A returned 12.93%/yr vs 64.43%/yr for SOXL. At a 0.42 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (SOXL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BRK-A achieves a -4.82% return, which is significantly lower than SOXL's 525.03% return. Over the past 10 years, BRK-A has underperformed SOXL with an annualized return of 12.93%, while SOXL has yielded a comparatively higher 64.43% annualized return.

BRK-A

• 1D: 0.66%
• 1M: 2.64%
• YTD: -4.82%
• 6M: -4.81%
• 1Y: -2.63%
• 3Y*: 12.92%
• 5Y*: 10.35%
• 10Y*: 12.93%

SOXL

• 1D: -6.36%
• 1M: 82.23%
• YTD: 525.03%
• 6M: 481.71%
• 1Y: 1,280.87%
• 3Y*: 133.82%
• 5Y*: 46.78%
• 10Y*: 64.43%

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

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BRK-A Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	-4.82%	10.85%	25.49%	15.77%	4.00%	29.57%	2.42%	10.98%	2.82%	21.91%
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF	525.03%	54.91%	-12.31%	226.98%	-85.66%	118.84%	70.04%	231.83%	-39.07%	141.71%

Correlation

The correlation between BRK-A and SOXL is -0.13, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.13
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.06
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 12, 2010	0.42

The correlation between BRK-A and SOXL shifts across timeframes, from -0.13 (1 year) to 0.42 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

BRK-A vs. SOXL — Risk / Return Rank

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

BRK-A

BRK-A Risk / Return Rank: 30
BRK-A Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
BRK-A Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
BRK-A Omega Ratio Rank: 27
BRK-A Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
BRK-A Martin Ratio Rank: 31

SOXL

SOXL Risk / Return Rank: 97
SOXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
SOXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
SOXL Omega Ratio Rank: 94
SOXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
SOXL Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (SOXL). 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.

	BRK-A	SOXL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.19	12.69	-12.88
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.17	4.98	-5.15
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.69	-0.71
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.29	29.80	-30.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.60	102.14	-102.74
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BRK-A Sharpe Ratio is -0.19, which is lower than the SOXL Sharpe Ratio of 12.69. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BRK-A and SOXL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BRK-A	SOXL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.19	12.69	-12.88
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.44	+0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	0.65	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.82	0.51	+0.31

Drawdowns

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BRK-A drawdown since its inception was -51.47%, smaller than the maximum SOXL drawdown of -90.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRK-A and SOXL.

Drawdown Indicators

	BRK-A	SOXL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.47%	-90.46%	+38.99%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.12%	-43.47%	+34.35%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.43%	-87.88%	+73.45%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.98%	-90.46%	+64.48%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-30.43%	-90.46%	+60.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.23%	-6.36%	-4.87%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.52%	-35.01%	+25.49%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.39%	12.66%	-8.27%

Volatility

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) is 3.58%, while Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (SOXL) has a volatility of 41.05%. This indicates that BRK-A experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SOXL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BRK-A	SOXL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.58%	41.05%	-37.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.42%	81.57%	-71.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.84%	102.16%	-88.32%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.15%	107.25%	-90.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.97%	99.05%	-80.08%

Dividends

BRK-A vs. SOXL - Dividend Comparison

BRK-A has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SOXL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.03%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
BRK-A Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF	0.03%	0.34%	1.18%	0.51%	1.07%	0.04%	0.05%	0.38%	1.30%	0.09%	4.84%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BRK-A and SOXL in my portfolio?

BRK-A and SOXL have a correlation of -0.13, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BRK-A or SOXL?

SOXL has higher volatility (41.05%) compared to BRK-A (3.58%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BRK-A dropped -51.47% vs SOXL's -90.46%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SOXL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (12.69 vs -0.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.