WallStSmart

Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-B)vsSouthern First Bancshares Inc (SFST)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc generates 304635% more annual revenue ($371.44B vs $121.89M). SFST leads profitability with a 28.7% profit margin vs 18.0%. SFST appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 2.31. SFST earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 71/100 (B).

BRK-B

Buy

54

out of 100

Grade: C-

Growth: 3.3Profit: 7.5Value: 5.0Quality: 8.0
Piotroski: 3/9Altman Z: 2.60

SFST

Strong Buy

71

out of 100

Grade: B

Growth: 9.3Profit: 7.5Value: 5.7Quality: 5.0

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

BRK-B6 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
Market CapQuality
$1.03T10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Price/BookValuation
0.0x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Operating MarginProfitability
33.0%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 33.0%

Debt/EquityHealth
0.199/10

Conservative balance sheet, low leverage

P/E RatioValuation
15.3x8/10

Attractively priced relative to earnings

Free Cash FlowQuality
$4.99B8/10

Generating 5.0B in free cash flow

SFST6 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
Price/BookValuation
1.2x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Operating MarginProfitability
41.2%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 41.2%

EPS GrowthGrowth
83.1%10/10

Earnings expanding 83.1% YoY

Profit MarginProfitability
28.7%9/10

Keeps 29 of every $100 in revenue as profit

P/E RatioValuation
13.2x8/10

Attractively priced relative to earnings

Revenue GrowthGrowth
26.2%8/10

Revenue surging 26.2% year-over-year

Areas to Watch

BRK-B4 concerns · Avg: 2.3/10
Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
3/93/10

Weak financial health signals

PEG RatioValuation
10.062/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Revenue GrowthGrowth
-0.7%2/10

Revenue declined 0.7%

EPS GrowthGrowth
-2.5%2/10

Earnings declined 2.5%

SFST3 concerns · Avg: 3.0/10
PEG RatioValuation
2.314/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Market CapQuality
$532.51M3/10

Smaller company, higher risk/reward

Free Cash FlowQuality
$-2.36M2/10

Negative free cash flow — burning cash

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : BRK-B

The strongest argument for BRK-B centers on Market Cap, Price/Book, Operating Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 18.0% and operating margin at 33.0%.

Bull Case : SFST

The strongest argument for SFST centers on Price/Book, Operating Margin, EPS Growth. Profitability is solid with margins at 28.7% and operating margin at 41.2%. Revenue growth of 26.2% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : BRK-B

The primary concerns for BRK-B are Piotroski F-Score, PEG Ratio, Revenue Growth.

Bear Case : SFST

The primary concerns for SFST are PEG Ratio, Market Cap, Free Cash Flow.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

BRK-B profiles as a declining stock while SFST is a growth play — different risk/reward profiles.

SFST carries more volatility with a beta of 0.74 — expect wider price swings.

SFST is growing revenue faster at 26.2% — sustainability is the question.

BRK-B generates stronger free cash flow (5.0B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

SFST scores higher overall (71/100 vs 54/100), backed by strong 28.7% margins and 26.2% revenue growth. 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.

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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Southern First Bancshares Inc

FINANCIAL SERVICES · BANKS - REGIONAL · USA

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. is the banking holding company for Southern First Bank offering various banking products and services to the general public in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. The company is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.

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