BRK-B vs. IBM
BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) are both stocks. BRK-B operates in Insurance - Diversified (Financial Services), while IBM operates in Information Technology Services (Technology). Over the past 10 years, BRK-B returned 13.14%/yr vs 11.34%/yr for IBM. At a 0.34 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
BRK-B vs. IBM - 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 higher than IBM's -3.95% return. Over the past 10 years, BRK-B has outperformed IBM with an annualized return of 13.14%, while IBM has yielded a comparatively lower 11.34% 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%
IBM
- 1D
- -1.41%
- 1M
- 22.22%
- YTD
- -3.95%
- 6M
- -7.98%
- 1Y
- 7.12%
- 3Y*
- 31.74%
- 5Y*
- 18.84%
- 10Y*
- 11.34%
BRK-B vs. IBM - 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% |
IBM International Business Machines Corporation | -3.95% | 38.23% | 39.27% | 21.85% | 10.64% | 16.65% | -1.16% | 23.58% | -22.56% | -3.99% |
Correlation
The correlation between BRK-B and IBM is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 10, 1996 | 0.34 |
The correlation between BRK-B and IBM shifts across timeframes, from 0.14 (1 year) to 0.47 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
BRK-B:
$1.05T
IBM:
$267.37B
BRK-B:
$33.62
IBM:
$11.32
BRK-B:
14.49
IBM:
24.81
BRK-B:
0.56
IBM:
0.30
BRK-B:
2.80
IBM:
3.87
BRK-B:
1.44
IBM:
8.11
BRK-B:
$375.39B
IBM:
$68.91B
BRK-B:
$94.36B
IBM:
$40.64B
BRK-B:
$71.92B
IBM:
$15.71B
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Return for Risk
BRK-B vs. IBM — Risk / Return Rank
BRK-B
IBM
BRK-B vs. IBM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). 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 | IBM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.27 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.56 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.00 | 1.07 | -0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.14 | 0.23 | -0.37 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.30 | 0.50 | -0.80 |
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 | IBM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.09 | 0.18 | -0.27 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.65 | 0.70 | -0.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.68 | 0.43 | +0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.48 | 0.29 | +0.19 |
Drawdowns
BRK-B vs. IBM - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BRK-B drawdown since its inception was -53.86%, smaller than the maximum IBM drawdown of -69.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BRK-B and IBM.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BRK-B | IBM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -53.86% | -69.40% | +15.54% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.42% | -30.96% | +21.54% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.95% | -30.96% | +16.01% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.58% | -30.96% | +4.38% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -29.57% | -40.59% | +11.02% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.78% | -14.70% | +4.92% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.07% | -20.12% | +9.05% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.49% | 14.23% | -9.74% |
Volatility
BRK-B vs. IBM - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) is 3.98%, while International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has a volatility of 21.84%. This indicates that BRK-B experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IBM 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 | IBM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.98% | 21.84% | -17.86% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.87% | 34.54% | -23.67% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.38% | 39.53% | -25.15% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.13% | 27.15% | -10.02% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.44% | 26.59% | -7.15% |
Dividends
BRK-B vs. IBM - Dividend Comparison
BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IBM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.40%.
| 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% |
IBM International Business Machines Corporation | 2.40% | 2.27% | 3.03% | 4.05% | 4.68% | 4.74% | 5.17% | 4.80% | 5.46% | 3.85% | 3.31% | 3.63% |
Financials
BRK-B vs. IBM - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation. 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. IBM - 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%.
IBM - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported a gross profit of 8.95B and revenue of 15.92B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 56.2%.
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%.
IBM - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported an operating income of 1.22B and revenue of 15.92B, resulting in an operating margin of 7.6%.
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%.
IBM - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, International Business Machines Corporation reported a net income of 1.22B and revenue of 15.92B, resulting in a net margin of 7.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions
BRK-B and IBM have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IBM has higher volatility (21.84%) compared to BRK-B (3.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BRK-B dropped -53.86% vs IBM's -69.40%.
IBM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.18 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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