American Express Company (AXP) vs Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B)

AXP leads on 9 of 13 compared metrics, though BRK.B is the cheaper stock.

A side-by-side comparison of American Express Company and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 16, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare
American Express Company logo
AXP
American Express Company
$232.47B
$335.38Financial Services
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. logo
BRK.B
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
$1.07T
$495.52Financial Services

Total return — AXP vs BRK.B

growth of $100 · last 30y
AXP +2477.7%BRK.B +2182.1%AXP compounded faster
01k2k3kStart $100200120062011201620212026$2,578$2,282
AXP BRK.B

AXP vs BRK.B: by the numbers

  • •BRK.B is the larger company ($1.07T vs $232.47B market cap).
  • •BRK.B trades at the lower earnings multiple (14.75 vs 20.92 P/E).
  • •BRK.B converts more revenue to profit (19.31% vs 13.61% net margin).
  • •AXP grew revenue faster over the past five years (17.35% vs 8.57% CAGR).
  • •AXP pays a dividend (1.02% yield) while BRK.B does not currently pay one.

Which is better, AXP or BRK.B?

Metric tally: AXP 9 · BRK.B 4

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueBRK.B(lower P/E)
GrowthAXP(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityAXP(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricAXPBRK.B
P/E ratio20.9214.75●
Forward P/E16.64●23.90
P/S ratio2.79●2.85
P/B ratio6.771.47●
PEG ratio2.431.25●

Profitability

MetricAXPBRK.B
Gross margin83.50%●25.14%
Operating margin20.70%●16.06%
Net margin13.61%19.31%●
ROE33.00%●9.97%
ROIC8.29%●4.12%

Dividends

MetricAXPBRK.B
Dividend yield1.02%—
Payout ratio22.13%—

Growth (annualized)

MetricAXPBRK.B
Revenue CAGR (5Y)17.35%●8.57%
EPS CAGR (5Y)32.53%●11.79%
Total return CAGR (5Y)17.07%●11.96%

Frequently asked

Which is better, AXP or BRK.B?
It depends on your goal. value: BRK.B (lower P/E); growth: AXP (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: AXP (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, AXP leads 9 to 4.
Is AXP or BRK.B cheaper?
On trailing earnings, BRK.B is cheaper: AXP trades at a 20.92 P/E and BRK.B at 14.75.
Which has grown faster, AXP or BRK.B?
Over the past five years, AXP grew revenue faster — AXP at a 17.35% CAGR versus BRK.B at 8.57%.
Does AXP or BRK.B pay a bigger dividend?
AXP pays a dividend (1.02% yield) while BRK.B does not currently pay one.
Is AXP or BRK.B more profitable?
BRK.B runs the higher net margin — AXP at 13.61% versus BRK.B at 19.31%.
Which has been the better investment, AXP or BRK.B?
Over the past 10-year, AXP delivered the higher annualized total return — AXP at 20.26% versus BRK.B at 13.37%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AXP analysisFull BRK.B analysisInteractive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Express P/E ratioBerkshire Hathaway P/E ratioAmerican Express dividend yieldBerkshire Hathaway dividend yieldAmerican Express ROEBerkshire Hathaway ROEAmerican Express operating marginBerkshire Hathaway operating marginAmerican Express revenue growthBerkshire Hathaway revenue growthAmerican Express free cash flowBerkshire Hathaway free cash flow

American Express & Berkshire Hathaway appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth StocksHighest ROE StocksHighest FCF Yield StocksBest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 16, 2026.