BRK vs S&P 500 annual returns since 2020
berkshire annual returns (discrete) vs S&P 500 since 2020.
about 15 hours ago
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I'll fetch the annual price data for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and the S&P 500 (SPY) since 2020 and compute discrete annual returns.I notice only SPY loaded. Let me check for BRK.B specifically — it may need a different ticker format.Now I'll compute the annual discrete returns by taking year-end prices and calculating year-over-year % changes.I see a duplicate 2026 YTD row. Let me clean that up and show the final table.Now let me also chart this for visual comparison.The chart needs a date column. Let me create a version with proper dates.
| Year | BRK.B | S&P 500 | Outperf. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.4% | +18.4% | −16.0pp |
| 2021 | +29.0% | +28.7% | +0.3pp |
| 2022 | +3.3% | −18.2% | +21.5pp |
| 2023 | +15.5% | +26.2% | −10.7pp |
| 2024 | +27.1% | +24.9% | +2.2pp |
| 2025 | +10.9% | +17.7% | −6.8pp |
| 2026 YTD | −1.5% | +8.9% | −10.4pp |
Key takeaways: Berkshire's standout year was 2022 — a 3.3% gain in a brutal −18% year for the S&P, delivering over 21 points of alpha. 2020 was the weakest relative showing (−16pp) as value/cyclical names lagged the tech-driven pandemic rally. BRK.B beat the index in 2021, 2022, and 2024, but has underperformed in three of the last three calendar years (2023, 2025, 2026 YTD).
about 15 hours ago