WallStSmart

Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK-B)vsWestern Alliance Bancorporation (WAL)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc generates 10897% more annual revenue ($371.44B vs $3.38B). WAL leads profitability with a 28.2% profit margin vs 18.0%. WAL appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 1.47. WAL earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 67/100 (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

WAL

Strong Buy

67

out of 100

Grade: B-

Growth: 6.0Profit: 7.5Value: 7.0Quality: 4.5
Piotroski: 4/9

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

WAL4 strengths · Avg: 9.8/10
P/E RatioValuation
9.3x10/10

Attractively priced relative to earnings

Price/BookValuation
1.2x10/10

Reasonable price relative to book value

Operating MarginProfitability
31.8%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 31.8%

Profit MarginProfitability
28.2%9/10

Keeps 28 of every $100 in revenue as profit

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%

WAL2 concerns · Avg: 2.0/10
EPS GrowthGrowth
-7.8%2/10

Earnings declined 7.8%

Free Cash FlowQuality
$-118.20M2/10

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 : WAL

The strongest argument for WAL centers on P/E Ratio, Price/Book, Operating Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 28.2% and operating margin at 31.8%. PEG of 1.47 suggests the stock is reasonably priced for its growth.

Bear Case : BRK-B

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

Bear Case : WAL

The primary concerns for WAL are EPS Growth, Free Cash Flow.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

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

WAL carries more volatility with a beta of 1.37 — expect wider price swings.

WAL is growing revenue faster at 7.9% — sustainability is the question.

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

Bottom Line

WAL scores higher overall (67/100 vs 54/100), backed by strong 28.2% 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.

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%).

Visit Website →

Western Alliance Bancorporation

FINANCIAL SERVICES · BANKS - REGIONAL · USA

Western Alliance Bancorporation is the banking holding company for Western Alliance Bank offering various banking products and related services primarily in Arizona, California and Nevada. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Want to dig deeper into these stocks?