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Compare Stocks › BRK-B vs IP

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) vs International Paper Company (IP): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-06-19, BRK-B is undervalued at $489, with a DCF intrinsic value of $644 and a margin of safety of 24%. IP is undervalued at $37, with an intrinsic value of $229 and a margin of safety of 84%. Of the two, IP has the wider margin of safety.

BRK-B
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
$489.46
VS
IP
International Paper Company
$36.82

Rewards

BRK-B
  • ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.95 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
  • ★Net debt/EBITDA of -2.3x means the company holds more cash than debt — a net cash position.
IP
  • ★FCF yield of 8.8% is historically attractive — the business generates significant cash relative to its price.

Risks

BRK-B
  • ⚠FCF yield of 5.8% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
  • ⚠PEG ratio of 10.06 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
IP
  • ⚠ROIC has declined by 9.7 percentage points over the past 4 years, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • ⚠International Paper Company scores only 17/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
  • ⚠Share count has increased by 51% over the past 4 years, diluting existing shareholders.

Key Valuation Metrics

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BRK-B
IP
Valuation
$61.23B
Free Cash Flow
$1.71B
5.80%
FCF Yield
8.78%
14.56
Trailing P/E
N/A
22.79
Forward P/E
13.75
Quality & Moat
4.96%
ROIC
2.91%
10.50%
ROE
-16.04%
27.78%
Gross Margin
29.69%
10.06
PEG Ratio
1.58
Balance Sheet Safety
Net cash
Net Debt / Equity
0.58
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-2.28
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.13
0.00%
Dividend Yield
5.12%
BRK-B: 5Ties: 1IP: 5
BRK-BIP

Historical Fundamentals

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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. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

IP

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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BRK-B
$1.66
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Creator
Σ Retained
$252.19B
Δ Market Cap
+$417.89B
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
IP
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-4.93B
Δ Market Cap
+$8.67B
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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BRK-B
24.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 24.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $489.46
Fair Value: $643.73
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
IP
83.9% Margin of Safety
Price is 83.9% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $36.82
Fair Value: $229.37
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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BRK-B

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $489?

+0.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +1.6%

The market implies +0.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +1.6%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

IP

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $37?

+5.0%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market pricing in significantly higher growth than history — aggressive.

Economic Moat Score

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BRK-B
40/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with reinvestment efficiency as the key competitive advantage. Improving revenue predictability would strengthen the moat.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
IP
17/100
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 4 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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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.
IP
-2.75
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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BRK-B
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 67.3%Retail & Other 32.4%
No. of Institutional Holders5,905
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.
IP
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 99.4%Retail & Other 0.4%
No. of Institutional Holders1,180
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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BRK-B
1
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $250,545
O'SULLIVAN MICHAEL J
General Counsel
$250,545
@ $467.43 · 2026-05-06
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
IP
1
Buys (3M)
4
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $4.32M
TOZIER SCOTT A
Director
$313,009
@ $31.30 · 2026-05-01
GUSTAFSSON PER ANDERS
Director
$1.00M
@ $38.33 · 2026-03-12
CONNOR CHRISTOPHER M
Director
$1.01M
@ $40.37 · 2026-01-30
SILVERNAIL ANDREW K.
Chief Executive Officer
$2.00M
@ $39.98 · 2026-01-30
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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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
IP
0
Sells (3M)
1
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $409,815
SAAB JOSEPH R
General Counsel
$409,815
@ $45.53 · 2025-09-16
GOUGHNOUR HOLLY G
Officer
$336,344
@ $44.85 · 2025-05-05
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$35,034
@ $58.39 · 2024-11-29
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$33,714
@ $56.19 · 2024-11-15
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$32,100
@ $53.50 · 2024-10-31
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$28,848
@ $48.08 · 2024-10-15
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$29,208
@ $48.68 · 2024-09-30
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$29,688
@ $49.48 · 2024-09-16
SAAB JOSEPH R
General Counsel
$115,412
@ $47.30 · 2024-09-12
GOUGHNOUR HOLLY G
Officer
$236,100
@ $47.22 · 2024-09-06
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$28,740
@ $47.90 · 2024-08-30
ELLIS CLAYTON R
Officer
$439,470
@ $48.83 · 2024-08-28
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$27,660
@ $46.10 · 2024-08-15
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$27,756
@ $46.26 · 2024-07-31
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$26,208
@ $43.68 · 2024-07-15
SULLIVAN KATHRYN D.
Director
$25,662
@ $42.77 · 2024-06-28
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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BRK-B
FearGreed
😏Greed(65/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

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.
IP
FearGreed
😨Fear(33/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

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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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: Greed (65)
IP
⚪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: Fear (33)
View BRK-B Full AnalysisView IP Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: BRK-B vs IP

Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or International Paper Company more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, IP trades at a 83.9% margin of safety (intrinsic value $229 vs. price $37), compared to BRK-B's 24.0% margin of safety (intrinsic $644 vs. $489).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or International Paper Company?▼

BRK-B scores 40/100 (Narrow moat), while IP scores 17/100 (None moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is International Paper Company in financial distress?▼

IP's Altman Z-Score of 1.4 places it in the Distress zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. BRK-B scores 2.5 (Grey zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.

Which company has better free cash flow, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or International Paper Company?▼

International Paper Company (IP) generates a 8.8% free cash flow yield, compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s 5.8%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.

Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or International Paper Company?▼

BRK-B earns 5.0% ROIC versus IP's 2.9%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.