WallStSmart

Southern California Bancorp (BCAL)vsBerkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-A)

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Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc generates 208641% more annual revenue ($384.69B vs $184.29M). BCAL leads profitability with a 32.7% profit margin vs 22.3%. BCAL trades at a lower P/E of 11.8x. BRK-A earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 74/100 (B).

BCAL

Buy

56

out of 100

Grade: C

Growth: 5.3Profit: 7.5Value: 6.7Quality: 5.5
Piotroski: 6/9Altman Z: 0.01

BRK-A

Strong Buy

74

out of 100

Grade: B

Growth: 7.3Profit: 7.5Value: 5.0Quality: 8.5
Piotroski: 4/9Altman Z: 2.59

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

BCAL5 strengths · Avg: 10.0/10
P/E RatioValuation
11.8x10/10

Attractively priced relative to earnings

Price/BookValuation
1.2x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Profit MarginProfitability
32.7%10/10

Keeps 33 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Operating MarginProfitability
48.4%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 48.4%

Debt/EquityHealth
0.0910/10

Conservative balance sheet, low leverage

BRK-A6 strengths · Avg: 9.7/10
Market CapQuality
$1.09T10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Price/BookValuation
1.5x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Operating MarginProfitability
32.6%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 32.6%

EPS GrowthGrowth
107.8%10/10

Earnings expanding 107.8% YoY

Profit MarginProfitability
22.3%9/10

Keeps 22 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Debt/EquityHealth
0.179/10

Conservative balance sheet, low leverage

Areas to Watch

BCAL4 concerns · Avg: 2.8/10
EPS GrowthGrowth
2.3%4/10

2.3% earnings growth

Market CapQuality
$701.20M3/10

Smaller company, higher risk/reward

Revenue GrowthGrowth
-1.6%2/10

Revenue declined 1.6%

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
0.012/10

Distress zone — elevated risk

BRK-A1 concerns · Avg: 2.0/10
PEG RatioValuation
9.682/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : BCAL

The strongest argument for BCAL centers on P/E Ratio, Price/Book, Profit Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 32.7% and operating margin at 48.4%.

Bull Case : BRK-A

The strongest argument for BRK-A centers on Market Cap, Price/Book, Operating Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 22.3% and operating margin at 32.6%.

Bear Case : BCAL

The primary concerns for BCAL are EPS Growth, Market Cap, Revenue Growth.

Bear Case : BRK-A

The primary concerns for BRK-A are PEG Ratio.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

BCAL profiles as a declining stock while BRK-A is a mature play — different risk/reward profiles.

BRK-A carries more volatility with a beta of 0.60 — expect wider price swings.

BRK-A is growing revenue faster at 10.0% — sustainability is the question.

BRK-A generates stronger free cash flow (5.6B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

BRK-A scores higher overall (74/100 vs 56/100), backed by strong 22.3% margins. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Southern California Bancorp

FINANCIAL SERVICES · BANKS - REGIONAL · USA

Southern California Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of Southern California, N.A. that provides various financial products to individuals, professionals, and small-to medium-sized businesses. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc

FINANCIAL SERVICES · INSURANCE - DIVERSIFIED · USA

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The company wholly owns GEICO, Duracell, Dairy Queen, BNSF, Lubrizol, Fruit of the Loom, Helzberg Diamonds, Long & Foster, FlightSafety International, Pampered Chef, Forest River, and NetJets, and also owns 38.6% of Pilot Flying J; and significant minority holdings in public companies Kraft Heinz Company (26.7%), American Express (18.8%), The Coca-Cola Company (9.32%), Bank of America (11.9%), and Apple (6.3%).

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