CWS vs. BRK-B

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

CWS (AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF) is Large Cap Growth Equities fund actively managed by AdvisorShares, while BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 5 years, CWS returned 8.61%/yr vs 12.95%/yr for BRK-B. Their 0.54 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently.

Performance

CWS vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CWS achieves a 3.94% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's 1.77% return.

CWS

• 1D: 1.57%
• 1M: 3.96%
• 6M: 4.04%
• YTD: 3.94%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: 8.97%
• 5Y*: 8.61%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 11.72%

BRK-B

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: 0.74%
• 6M: 6.45%
• YTD: 1.77%
• 1Y: 8.18%
• 3Y*: 13.24%
• 5Y*: 12.95%
• 10Y*: 13.57%
• ALL TIME*: 10.71%

*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
CWS AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF	$260.10K	$341.02K	$716.43K

CWS vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CWS AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF	3.94%	6.43%	9.82%	25.06%	-10.42%	22.20%	17.12%	30.97%	-6.46%	20.92%
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%

Correlation

The correlation between CWS and BRK-B is 0.24, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.24
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.44
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.53
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 21, 2016	0.54

Over the past year, the correlation between CWS and BRK-B has dropped to 0.24 - well below their long-term average of 0.54, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

CWS vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank

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

CWS

CWS Risk / Return Rank: 18
CWS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
CWS Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
CWS Omega Ratio Rank: 17
CWS Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
CWS Martin Ratio Rank: 18

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

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.

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

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) 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.

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.

	CWS	BRK-B	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.34	0.57	-0.23
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.58	0.89	-0.31
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.11	-0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.39	0.90	-0.51
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.98	1.88	-0.90

CWS vs. BRK-B - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CWS Sharpe Ratio is 0.34, which is lower than the BRK-B Sharpe Ratio of 0.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CWS and BRK-B, 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

CWS vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CWS drawdown since its inception was -33.82%, smaller than the maximum BRK-B drawdown of -53.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CWS and BRK-B.

Drawdown Indicators

	CWS	BRK-B	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.82%	-53.86%	+20.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.92%	-9.42%	-2.50%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.56%	-14.95%	-1.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.87%	-26.58%	+1.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-29.57%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.73%	-5.24%	+4.51%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.54%	-11.06%	+6.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.69%	4.49%	+0.20%

Volatility

CWS vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) is 3.48%, while Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) has a volatility of 4.59%. This indicates that CWS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BRK-B based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CWS	BRK-B	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.48%	4.59%	-1.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.32%	11.13%	-0.81%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.54%	14.79%	-1.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.69%	17.12%	-1.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.84%	19.42%	-2.58%

Dividends

CWS vs. BRK-B - Dividend Comparison

CWS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.29%, while BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
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%
CWS AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF	0.29%	0.31%	0.59%	0.25%	0.50%	0.16%	0.27%	0.39%	2.07%	0.29%	0.03%

Frequently Asked Questions

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

CWS and BRK-B have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CWS or BRK-B?

BRK-B has higher volatility (4.59%) compared to CWS (3.48%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CWS dropped -33.82% vs BRK-B's -53.86%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BRK-B currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.57 vs 0.34), 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.