EFA vs. BRK-B
EFA (iShares MSCI EAFE ETF) is Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE Index (Net), while BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, EFA returned 9.28%/yr vs 13.14%/yr for BRK-B. At a 0.48 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
EFA vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, EFA achieves a 7.13% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's -3.11% return. Over the past 10 years, EFA has underperformed BRK-B with an annualized return of 9.28%, while BRK-B has yielded a comparatively higher 13.14% annualized return.
EFA
- 1D
- 0.61%
- 1M
- -1.04%
- YTD
- 7.13%
- 6M
- 9.67%
- 1Y
- 18.74%
- 3Y*
- 15.87%
- 5Y*
- 8.03%
- 10Y*
- 9.28%
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%
EFA vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 7.13% | 31.55% | 3.49% | 18.36% | -14.39% | 11.45% | 7.60% | 22.04% | -13.82% | 25.07% |
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% |
Correlation
The correlation between EFA and BRK-B is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 20, 2001 | 0.48 |
Over the past year, the correlation between EFA and BRK-B has dropped to 0.17 - well below their long-term average of 0.48, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
EFA vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank
EFA
BRK-B
EFA vs. BRK-B - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) 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.
| EFA | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.32 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.82 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.00 | +0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.65 | -0.14 | +1.79 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.15 | -0.30 | +6.45 |
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
| EFA | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.23 | -0.09 | +1.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.49 | 0.65 | -0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.54 | 0.68 | -0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.31 | 0.48 | -0.17 |
Drawdowns
EFA vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum EFA drawdown since its inception was -61.04%, 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 EFA and BRK-B.
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Drawdown Indicators
| EFA | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -61.04% | -53.86% | -7.18% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.42% | -9.42% | -2.00% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.05% | -14.95% | +0.90% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.53% | -26.58% | -2.95% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.19% | -29.57% | -4.62% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.63% | -9.78% | +7.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.93% | -11.07% | -0.86% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.05% | 4.49% | -1.44% |
Volatility
EFA vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) has a higher volatility of 4.54% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) at 3.98%. This indicates that EFA'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
| EFA | BRK-B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.54% | 3.98% | +0.56% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.82% | 10.87% | +1.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.31% | 14.38% | +0.93% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.52% | 17.13% | -0.61% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.28% | 19.44% | -2.16% |
Dividends
EFA vs. BRK-B - Dividend Comparison
EFA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.16%, while BRK-B has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| 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% |
EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 3.16% | 3.38% | 3.24% | 2.98% | 2.69% | 3.33% | 2.13% | 3.10% | 3.39% | 2.57% | 3.07% | 2.76% |
Frequently Asked Questions
EFA and BRK-B have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
EFA has higher volatility (4.54%) compared to BRK-B (3.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EFA dropped -61.04% vs BRK-B's -53.86%.
EFA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.23 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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