DOW vs. BRK-B
DOW (Dow Inc.) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) are both stocks. DOW operates in Chemicals (Basic Materials), while BRK-B operates in Insurance - Diversified (Financial Services). Over the past 5 years, DOW returned -7.18%/yr vs 12.38%/yr for BRK-B. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
DOW vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DOW achieves a 42.08% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's -2.26% return.
DOW
- 1D
- -1.40%
- 1M
- -14.86%
- YTD
- 42.08%
- 6M
- 43.99%
- 1Y
- 16.17%
- 3Y*
- -10.06%
- 5Y*
- -7.18%
- 10Y*
- —
BRK-B
- 1D
- -0.74%
- 1M
- 0.59%
- YTD
- -2.26%
- 6M
- -2.58%
- 1Y
- 1.61%
- 3Y*
- 13.24%
- 5Y*
- 12.38%
- 10Y*
- 13.32%
DOW vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DOW Dow Inc. | 42.08% | -37.38% | -22.79% | 14.71% | -6.65% | 6.81% | 7.88% | 8.40% |
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | -2.26% | 10.89% | 27.09% | 15.46% | 3.31% | 28.95% | 2.37% | 10.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between DOW and BRK-B is 0.13, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.43 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 20, 2019 | 0.49 |
Over the past year, the correlation between DOW and BRK-B has dropped to 0.13 - well below their long-term average of 0.49, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
DOW:
$23.44B
BRK-B:
$1.06T
DOW:
-$3.86
BRK-B:
$33.62
DOW:
0.59
BRK-B:
2.82
DOW:
1.54
BRK-B:
1.46
DOW:
$39.33B
BRK-B:
$375.39B
DOW:
$2.42B
BRK-B:
$94.36B
DOW:
$840.00M
BRK-B:
$71.92B
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Return for Risk
DOW vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank
DOW
BRK-B
DOW vs. BRK-B - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dow Inc. (DOW) 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.
| DOW | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.55 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 1.03 | +0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.52 | 0.17 | +0.35 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.98 | 0.36 | +0.62 |
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Drawdowns
DOW vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DOW drawdown since its inception was -64.37%, which is greater than BRK-B's maximum drawdown of -53.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DOW and BRK-B.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DOW | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -64.37% | -53.86% | -10.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -31.28% | -9.42% | -21.86% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -62.16% | -14.95% | -47.21% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -64.37% | -26.58% | -37.79% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -29.57% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -41.62% | -8.99% | -32.63% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -22.82% | -11.07% | -11.75% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 16.59% | 4.55% | +12.04% |
Volatility
DOW vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison
Dow Inc. (DOW) has a higher volatility of 8.62% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) at 4.04%. This indicates that DOW's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BRK-B based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DOW | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.62% | 4.04% | +4.58% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 32.72% | 10.71% | +22.01% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 49.33% | 14.43% | +34.90% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 33.54% | 17.11% | +16.43% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 38.67% | 19.44% | +19.23% |
Dividends
DOW vs. BRK-B - Dividend Comparison
DOW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.31%, while BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
DOW Dow Inc. | 4.31% | 8.98% | 6.98% | 5.11% | 5.56% | 4.94% | 5.05% | 3.84% |
Financials
DOW vs. BRK-B - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Dow Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.. 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
DOW vs. BRK-B - Profitability Comparison
DOW - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dow Inc. reported a gross profit of 640.00M and revenue of 9.79B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 6.5%.
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%.
DOW - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dow Inc. reported an operating income of -31.00M and revenue of 9.79B, resulting in an operating margin of -0.3%.
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%.
DOW - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Dow Inc. reported a net income of -445.00M and revenue of 9.79B, resulting in a net margin of -4.5%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
DOW and BRK-B 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.
DOW has higher volatility (8.62%) compared to BRK-B (4.04%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DOW dropped -64.37% vs BRK-B's -53.86%.
DOW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.33 vs 0.11), 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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