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Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN) vs Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B)

ALGN
Align Technology, Inc.
$176.25
VS
BRK-B
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
$481.48

Rewards

ALGN
  • ★Align Technology, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • ★Gross margin of 69.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • ★Align Technology, Inc. scores 91/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
BRK-B
  • ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $1.66 of market value — management is creating shareholder value.
  • ★Net debt/EBITDA of -2.2x means the company holds more cash than debt — a net cash position.

Risks

ALGN
    BRK-B
    • ⚠Berkshire Hathaway Inc. scores only 16/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
    • ⚠Trailing P/E of 15.5x is 75% above the historical average of 8.9x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.

    Key Valuation Metrics

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    ALGN
    BRK-B
    Valuation
    $483.69M
    Free Cash Flow
    $36.80B
    3.82%
    FCF Yield
    3.54%
    31.14
    Trailing P/E
    15.50
    14.37
    Forward P/E
    22.11
    Quality & Moat
    17.13%
    ROIC
    11.31%
    10.13%
    ROE
    9.30%
    69.80%
    Gross Margin
    26.15%
    0.87
    PEG Ratio
    N/A
    Balance Sheet Safety
    0.03
    Debt / Equity
    0.19
    N/A
    Interest Coverage
    N/A
    -1.15
    Net Debt / EBITDA
    -2.15
    N/A
    Dividend Yield
    N/A
    ALGN: 6Ties: 1BRK-B: 3
    ALGNBRK-B

    Historical Fundamentals

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    ALGN

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    BRK-B

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    $1 Retained Earnings Test

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    ALGN
    $-4.04
    created per $1 retained over 3 years
    Market Cap Declined
    Σ Retained
    $1.28B
    Δ Market Cap
    $-5.15B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
    BRK-B
    $1.66
    created per $1 retained over 3 years
    Value Creator
    Σ Retained
    $252.19B
    Δ Market Cap
    +$417.98B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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    ALGN
    23.3% Overvalued
    Price is 23.3% above estimated fair value
    Current Price: $176.25
    Fair Value: $142.95
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued
    BRK-B
    31.1% Margin of Safety
    Price is 31.1% below estimated fair value
    Current Price: $481.48
    Fair Value: $699.14
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued

    Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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    ALGN

    What growth rate is the market pricing in at $176?

    +12.5%
    Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
    Standard FCF implies +10.3%

    The market implies +12.5% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

    Standard FCF implies a demanding +10.3%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

    BRK-B

    What growth rate is the market pricing in at $481?

    +0.7%
    Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
    Standard FCF implies +8.8%

    The market implies +0.7% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

    Standard FCF implies a demanding +8.8%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

    Economic Moat Score

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    ALGN
    91/100
    Wide Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.
    BRK-B
    16/100
    No Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

    Forensic Accounting

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    ALGN
    -2.52
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
    BRK-B
    -2.41
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Ownership Breakdown

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    ALGN
    Insiders 6.8%Institutions 96.1%
    No. of Institutional Holders966
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
    BRK-B
    Insiders 0.3%Institutions 66.2%Retail & Other 33.5%
    No. of Institutional Holders5,852
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    Insider Buying Activity

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    ALGN
    0
    Buys (3M)
    1
    Buys (12M)
    Total value (12M): $996,131
    HOGAN JOSEPH M
    Chief Executive Officer
    $996,131
    @ $131.49 · 2025-08-01
    LARKIN CHARLES RAYMOND JR
    Director
    $1.53M
    @ $235.33 · 2024-08-15
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
    BRK-B
    0
    Buys (3M)
    0
    Buys (12M)
    No open market insider purchases found.
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

    Insider Selling Activity

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    ALGN
    1
    Sells (3M)
    1
    Sells (12M)
    Total value (12M): $1.51M
    MORICI JOHN F.
    Chief Financial Officer
    $1.51M
    @ $189.31 · 2026-02-18
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
    BRK-B
    0
    Sells (3M)
    0
    Sells (12M)
    No open market insider sales found.
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

    🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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    ALGN
    FearGreed
    😐Neutral(46/100)

    "Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
    BRK-B
    FearGreed
    😐Neutral(48/100)

    "Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    ⚖️ Buffett Signal

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    ALGN
    ⚪Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (46)
    BRK-B
    ⚪Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (48)
    View ALGN Full AnalysisView BRK-B Full Analysis
    Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN) vs Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io