NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

NOVN.SW (Novartis AG) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) are both stocks. NOVN.SW operates in Drug Manufacturers - General (Healthcare), while BRK-B operates in Insurance - Diversified (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, NOVN.SW returned 9.98%/yr vs 11.01%/yr for BRK-B. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CHF 10,000 investment in Novartis AG (NOVN.SW) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

NOVN.SW is traded in CHF, while BRK-B is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the BRK-B values have been converted to CHF using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NOVN.SW achieves a 8.91% return, which is significantly higher than BRK-B's -2.61% return. Over the past 10 years, NOVN.SW has underperformed BRK-B with an annualized return of 9.98%, while BRK-B has yielded a comparatively higher 11.01% annualized return.

NOVN.SW

• 1D: 2.04%
• 1M: 2.19%
• YTD: 8.91%
• 6M: 11.93%
• 1Y: 22.96%
• 3Y*: 14.41%
• 5Y*: 12.76%
• 10Y*: 9.98%

BRK-B

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 5.18%
• YTD: -2.61%
• 6M: -3.21%
• 1Y: -4.25%
• 3Y*: 8.64%
• 5Y*: 8.48%
• 10Y*: 11.01%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NOVN.SW Novartis AG	8.91%	27.98%	8.44%	11.93%	8.75%	-0.11%	-5.39%	28.50%	6.51%	16.04%
BRK-B Berkshire Hathaway Inc.	-2.54%	-3.11%	37.11%	5.12%	4.73%	32.75%	-6.26%	9.05%	4.01%	16.46%

Correlation

The correlation between NOVN.SW and BRK-B is 0.18, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.18
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.19
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 3, 2007	0.28

Return for Risk

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NOVN.SW

NOVN.SW Risk / Return Rank: 75
NOVN.SW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
NOVN.SW Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
NOVN.SW Omega Ratio Rank: 72
NOVN.SW Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
NOVN.SW Martin Ratio Rank: 77

BRK-B

BRK-B Risk / Return Rank: 35
BRK-B Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
BRK-B Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
BRK-B Omega Ratio Rank: 30
BRK-B Calmar Ratio Rank: 38
BRK-B Martin Ratio Rank: 37

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Novartis AG (NOVN.SW) 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.

	NOVN.SW	BRK-B	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.34	-0.27	+1.61
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.80	-0.27	+2.07
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	0.97	+0.27
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.29	-0.34	+2.64
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.53	-0.69	+6.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NOVN.SW Sharpe Ratio is 1.34, which is higher than the BRK-B Sharpe Ratio of -0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NOVN.SW 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.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NOVN.SW	BRK-B	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.34	-0.27	+1.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.72	0.46	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.53	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.33	+0.16

Drawdowns

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NOVN.SW drawdown since its inception was -42.25%, smaller than the maximum BRK-B drawdown of -56.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NOVN.SW and BRK-B.

Drawdown Indicators

	NOVN.SW	BRK-B	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-42.25%	-56.34%	+14.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.78%	-12.50%	+1.72%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.86%	-23.79%	+6.93%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.86%	-23.79%	+6.93%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-24.11%	-29.23%	+5.12%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.53%	-18.05%	+9.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.40%	-14.61%	+3.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.43%	6.20%	-1.77%

Volatility

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Volatility Comparison

Novartis AG (NOVN.SW) has a higher volatility of 6.01% compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) at 4.31%. This indicates that NOVN.SW'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.

Volatility by Period

	NOVN.SW	BRK-B	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.01%	4.31%	+1.70%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.12%	12.32%	+0.80%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.53%	15.69%	+2.84%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.81%	18.34%	-0.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.23%	20.96%	-2.73%

Dividends

NOVN.SW vs. BRK-B - Dividend Comparison

NOVN.SW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.19%, 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%
NOVN.SW Novartis AG	3.19%	3.19%	3.72%	3.77%	3.91%	3.94%	3.72%	3.27%	3.98%	3.98%	4.35%	3.58%

Financials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NOVN.SW and BRK-B in my portfolio?

NOVN.SW and BRK-B have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.