BRK-B vs. HSBC
BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) and HSBC (HSBC Holdings plc) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — BRK-B in Insurance - Diversified, HSBC in Banks - Diversified. Over the past 10 years, BRK-B returned 13.14%/yr vs 17.91%/yr for HSBC. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BRK-B achieves a -3.11% return, which is significantly lower than HSBC's 20.29% return. Over the past 10 years, BRK-B has underperformed HSBC with an annualized return of 13.14%, while HSBC has yielded a comparatively higher 17.91% annualized return.
BRK-B
- 1D
- -0.23%
- 1M
- 2.32%
- YTD
- -3.11%
- 6M
- -2.06%
- 1Y
- -1.32%
- 3Y*
- 13.25%
- 5Y*
- 11.03%
- 10Y*
- 13.14%
HSBC
- 1D
- 0.80%
- 1M
- 2.08%
- YTD
- 20.29%
- 6M
- 33.24%
- 1Y
- 60.06%
- 3Y*
- 43.23%
- 5Y*
- 32.21%
- 10Y*
- 17.91%
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | -3.11% | 10.89% | 27.09% | 15.46% | 3.31% | 28.95% | 2.37% | 10.93% | 3.01% | 21.62% |
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc | 20.29% | 67.91% | 34.48% | 39.45% | 7.79% | 20.76% | -31.71% | 1.44% | -16.05% | 36.04% |
Correlation
The correlation between BRK-B and HSBC is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.40 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 19, 1999 | 0.39 |
The correlation between BRK-B and HSBC shifts across timeframes, from 0.19 (1 year) to 0.47 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
BRK-B:
$1.05T
HSBC:
$316.57B
BRK-B:
$33.62
HSBC:
$6.38
BRK-B:
14.49
HSBC:
14.34
BRK-B:
0.56
HSBC:
0.71
BRK-B:
2.80
HSBC:
2.49
BRK-B:
1.44
HSBC:
1.81
BRK-B:
$375.39B
HSBC:
$128.37B
BRK-B:
$94.36B
HSBC:
$65.42B
BRK-B:
$71.92B
HSBC:
$34.27B
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Return for Risk
BRK-B vs. HSBC — Risk / Return Rank
BRK-B
HSBC
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) and HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC). 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-B | HSBC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.40 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.03 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.00 | 1.40 | -0.40 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.14 | 3.71 | -3.85 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.30 | 13.24 | -13.54 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| BRK-B | HSBC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.09 | 2.30 | -2.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.65 | 1.26 | -0.61 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.68 | 0.70 | -0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.48 | 0.25 | +0.23 |
Drawdowns
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BRK-B drawdown since its inception was -53.86%, smaller than the maximum HSBC drawdown of -74.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRK-B and HSBC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BRK-B | HSBC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -53.86% | -74.47% | +20.61% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.42% | -16.28% | +6.86% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.95% | -21.83% | +6.88% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.58% | -31.80% | +5.22% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -29.57% | -62.26% | +32.69% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.78% | -3.87% | -5.91% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.07% | -24.11% | +13.04% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.49% | 4.55% | -0.06% |
Volatility
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) is 3.98%, while HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) has a volatility of 7.33%. This indicates that BRK-B experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HSBC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BRK-B | HSBC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.98% | 7.33% | -3.35% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.87% | 21.58% | -10.71% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.38% | 26.25% | -11.87% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.13% | 25.78% | -8.65% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.44% | 25.56% | -6.12% |
Dividends
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Dividend Comparison
BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders, while HSBC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.10%.
| 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% |
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc | 4.10% | 4.19% | 8.29% | 6.54% | 4.33% | 3.65% | 4.05% | 6.52% | 6.20% | 4.94% | 6.35% | 6.33% |
Financials
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and HSBC Holdings plc. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
BRK-B vs. HSBC - Profitability Comparison
BRK-B - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported a gross profit of 26.98B and revenue of 93.68B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 28.8%.
HSBC - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HSBC Holdings plc reported a gross profit of 16.93B and revenue of 32.92B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 51.4%.
BRK-B - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported an operating income of 15.05B and revenue of 93.68B, resulting in an operating margin of 16.1%.
HSBC - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HSBC Holdings plc reported an operating income of 9.36B and revenue of 32.92B, resulting in an operating margin of 28.4%.
BRK-B - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported a net income of 10.18B and revenue of 93.68B, resulting in a net margin of 10.9%.
HSBC - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HSBC Holdings plc reported a net income of 7.33B and revenue of 32.92B, resulting in a net margin of 22.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions
BRK-B and HSBC have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
HSBC has higher volatility (7.33%) compared to BRK-B (3.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BRK-B dropped -53.86% vs HSBC's -74.47%.
HSBC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.30 vs -0.09), 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.
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