BRK-B vs. FTLS

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) is a stock, while FTLS (First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF) is Long-Short fund actively managed by First Trust. Over the past 10 years, BRK-B returned 13.57%/yr vs 9.59%/yr for FTLS. Their 0.55 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently.

Performance

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) and First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BRK-B achieves a 1.77% return, which is significantly lower than FTLS's 6.03% return. Over the past 10 years, BRK-B has outperformed FTLS with an annualized return of 13.57%, while FTLS has yielded a comparatively lower 9.59% annualized return.

BRK-B

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: 2.36%
• 6M: 6.45%
• YTD: 1.77%
• 1Y: 8.40%
• 3Y*: 13.24%
• 5Y*: 12.95%
• 10Y*: 13.57%
• ALL TIME*: 10.71%

FTLS

• 1D: -0.31%
• 1M: 1.85%
• 6M: 4.95%
• YTD: 6.03%
• 1Y: 13.39%
• 3Y*: 13.13%
• 5Y*: 10.06%
• 10Y*: 9.59%
• ALL TIME*: 9.00%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	$2.04B	$2.04B	$2.42B
FTLS First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF	$8.26M	$8.04M	$8.94M

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	1.77%	10.89%	27.09%	15.46%	3.31%	28.95%	2.37%	10.93%	3.01%	21.62%
FTLS First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF	6.03%	9.09%	18.80%	16.94%	-5.56%	19.65%	2.56%	16.16%	-4.81%	14.41%

Correlation

The correlation between BRK-B and FTLS is 0.16, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.16
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.33
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.46
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 10, 2014	0.55

Over the past year, the correlation between BRK-B and FTLS has dropped to 0.16 - well below their long-term average of 0.55, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

BRK-B vs. FTLS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

BRK-B

BRK-B Risk / Return Rank: 61
BRK-B Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
BRK-B Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
BRK-B Omega Ratio Rank: 55
BRK-B Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
BRK-B Martin Ratio Rank: 64

FTLS

FTLS Risk / Return Rank: 75
FTLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
FTLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
FTLS Omega Ratio Rank: 67
FTLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
FTLS Martin Ratio Rank: 82

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) and First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	BRK-B	FTLS	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.57	1.57	-1.00
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.89	2.28	-1.39
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.28	-0.17
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.90	3.55	-2.65
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.88	10.80	-8.92

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BRK-B Sharpe Ratio is 0.57, which is lower than the FTLS Sharpe Ratio of 1.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BRK-B and FTLS, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BRK-B drawdown since its inception was -53.86%, which is greater than FTLS's maximum drawdown of -20.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRK-B and FTLS.

Drawdown Indicators

	BRK-B	FTLS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.86%	-20.54%	-33.32%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.42%	-3.79%	-5.63%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.95%	-11.69%	-3.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.58%	-11.69%	-14.89%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.57%	-20.54%	-9.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.24%	-0.42%	-4.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.06%	-2.67%	-8.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.49%	1.24%	+3.25%

Volatility

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Volatility Comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) has a higher volatility of 4.59% compared to First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) at 2.15%. This indicates that BRK-B's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTLS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BRK-B	FTLS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.59%	2.15%	+2.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.13%	5.86%	+5.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.79%	8.54%	+6.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.12%	10.53%	+6.59%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.42%	11.23%	+8.19%

Dividends

BRK-B vs. FTLS - Dividend Comparison

BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FTLS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.88%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BRK-B 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%	0.00%
FTLS First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF	0.88%	1.07%	1.50%	1.49%	0.81%	0.01%	0.44%	0.83%	0.87%	0.43%	1.04%	0.49%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BRK-B and FTLS in my portfolio?

BRK-B and FTLS have a correlation of 0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BRK-B or FTLS?

BRK-B has higher volatility (4.59%) compared to FTLS (2.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BRK-B dropped -53.86% vs FTLS's -20.54%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

FTLS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.57 vs 0.57), 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.