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Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) vs W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-11-01, BRK-B is fairly valued at $542, with a DCF intrinsic value of $590 and a margin of safety of 8%. WRB is fairly valued at $74, with an intrinsic value of $76 and a margin of safety of 2%. Of the two, BRK-B has the wider margin of safety.

BRK-B
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
$542.49
VS
WRB
W. R. Berkley Corporation
$73.86

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 -1.8x means the company holds more cash than debt — a net cash position.
WRB
  • ★W. R. Berkley Corporation scores 99/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • ★Free cash flow has grown at a 10.7% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
  • ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $1.38 of earning power — management is creating shareholder value.

Risks

BRK-B
  • ⚠FCF yield of 6.2% 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.
WRB
  • ⚠PEG ratio of 4.86 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • ⚠Altman Z-Score of 1.22 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.

Key Valuation Metrics

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BRK-B
WRB
Valuation
$71.98B
Free Cash Flow
N/A
6.20%
FCF Yield
N/A
13.64
Trailing P/E
15.62
24.18
Forward P/E
15.22
Quality & Moat
11.26%
ROIC
14.58%
12.12%
ROE
18.08%
30.33%
Gross Margin
43.60%
10.06
PEG Ratio
4.86
Balance Sheet Safety
Net cash
Net Debt / Equity
Net cash
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-1.81
Net Debt / EBITDA
-0.32
0.00%
Dividend Yield
0.54%
BRK-B: 3Ties: 1WRB: 6
BRK-BWRB

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.

WRB

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
$1.64
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Creator
Σ Retained
$252.19B
Δ Market Cap
+$414.76B
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
WRB
$2.28
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$3.18B
Δ Market Cap
+$7.25B
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
8.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 8.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $542.49
Fair Value: $589.58
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
WRB
2.2% Margin of Safety
Price is 2.2% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $73.86
Fair Value: $75.52
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 $542?

+2.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +1.6%

The market implies +2.6% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

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

WRB

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

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.
WRB
99/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

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.
WRB
-2.63
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 67.0%Retail & Other 32.7%
No. of Institutional Holders5,930
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.
WRB
Insiders 26.3%Institutions 75.6%
No. of Institutional Holders1,296
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)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $500,617
O'SULLIVAN MICHAEL J
General Counsel
$250,072
@ $512.44 · 2026-08-12
O'SULLIVAN MICHAEL J
General Counsel
$250,545
@ $467.43 · 2026-05-06
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
WRB
0
Buys (3M)
19
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $665.29M
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$18.75M
@ $72.61 · 2026-03-03
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$21.49M
@ $71.65 · 2026-02-27
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$39.38M
@ $71.13 · 2026-02-25
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$35.74M
@ $70.70 · 2026-02-20
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$2.84M
@ $70.93 · 2026-02-13
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$6.83M
@ $69.68 · 2026-02-11
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$2.84M
@ $70.88 · 2026-02-06
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$21.45M
@ $68.05 · 2026-02-04
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$33.09M
@ $68.22 · 2026-01-30
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$69.30M
@ $67.35 · 2026-01-28
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$46.90M
@ $67.19 · 2026-01-23
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.61M
@ $67.64 · 2026-01-21
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$36.64M
@ $68.49 · 2026-01-16
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$55.62M
@ $68.58 · 2026-01-14
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$32.64M
@ $69.45 · 2026-01-09
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$47.42M
@ $69.61 · 2026-01-07
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$47.17M
@ $70.11 · 2026-01-02
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$62.04M
@ $70.53 · 2025-12-29
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE CO., LTD.
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.55M
@ $69.71 · 2025-12-22
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
WRB
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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BRK-B
FearGreed
😏Greed(74/100)

"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.
WRB
FearGreed
😏Greed(62/100)

"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.

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 (74)
WRB
⚪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 (62)
View BRK-B Full AnalysisView WRB Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: BRK-B vs WRB

Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or W. R. Berkley Corporation more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, BRK-B trades at a 8.0% margin of safety (intrinsic value $590 vs. price $542), compared to WRB's 2.2% margin of safety (intrinsic $76 vs. $74).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or W. R. Berkley Corporation?▼

WRB scores 99/100 (Wide moat), while BRK-B scores 40/100 (Narrow moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is W. R. Berkley Corporation in financial distress?▼

WRB's Altman Z-Score of 1.2 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 stock has higher return on invested capital, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or W. R. Berkley Corporation?▼

WRB earns 14.6% ROIC versus BRK-B's 11.3%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.

BRK-B vs WRB: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026? | SafetyMargin.io