BRK-B vs SSD: How Berkshire Hathaway and Simpson Manufacturing Co Compare (2026)
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
BRK-B and SSD are similarly sized, but SSD trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (19.33x vs 23.71x): the market is paying up for BRK-B's profile and pricing SSD more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.
BRK-B vs SSD: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | BRK-B | SSD | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward P/E | 23.71 | 19.33 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 15.22 | 20.59 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 0.61 | 1.30 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 91% of range | 55% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
Reading it: SSD is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how BRK-B and SSD affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BRK-B and SSD share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BRK-B and SSD exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) do?
Berkshire Hathaway is a diversified holding company that owns a wide range of businesses outright and holds a large portfolio of public stocks. Its foundation is insurance: GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance, and other insurers generate underwriting profit and, more importantly, float (premiums held before claims are paid) that Berkshire invests. In Q1 2026 insurance underwriting income rose to about $1.72 billion from $1.34 billion a year earlier. Beyond insurance, Berkshire owns the BNSF railroad, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and consumer and industrial businesses such as Duracell, Dairy Queen, See's Candies, and Precision Castparts, alongside a stock portfolio historically anchored by names like Apple and American Express.
What does Simpson Manufacturing Co (SSD) do?
Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NYSE: SSD), headquartered in Pleasanton, California, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells structural solutions for wood, concrete, and steel connections primarily through its Simpson Strong-Tie subsidiary. Its product portfolio spans connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, shearwalls, adhesives, mechanical anchors, fiber-reinforced polymer systems, and software tools for structural design. The company sells into residential construction, commercial and infrastructure markets, and the repair and remodel segment across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, with North America accounting for the substantial majority of revenue. Revenue is generated by selling engineered building products through distributors, dealers, and direct-to-builder relationships, with the brand's deep code-approval network and specification culture creating meaningful switching costs.
BRK-B vs SSD: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- BRK-B drivers: Leadership transition to Greg Abel; Insurance float and underwriting.
- SSD drivers: Code-Driven Specification Moat; Building Code Tailwinds and Safety Demand.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The central 2026 risk is the leadership transition itself: Buffett's judgment and reputation were core to Berkshire's edge, and the market will test whether Greg Abel can allocate capital as effectively, especially with a record cash pile to deploy. For SSD, the most direct risk is a prolonged U.S.
BRK-B or SSD: which should you pick?
BRK-B vs SSD: the full fundamentals
BRK-B. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Because accounting rules force Berkshire to mark its large stock portfolio to market each quarter, GAAP net income is noisy, so investors typically focus on operating earnings and book value per share rather than a simple P/E. The record cash balance means a meaningful part of the market cap is cash awaiting deployment, which affects how the business should be valued.
SSD. SSD trades at a trailing P/E of roughly 21 to 22 times, broadly in line with the U.S. building industry average and modestly below its own ten-year average of approximately 21.7 times, suggesting the market is not pricing in significant multiple expansion. The company's North America gross margins near 47 to 50 percent stand out as unusually high for a manufacturer, reflecting the brand and specification premium embedded in its product mix. Full-year 2025 revenue growth of approximately 4.5 percent and an operating margin of 19.6 percent demonstrate resilience in a below-trend housing environment, though the path to management's stated 20 percent-plus margin target depends partly on housing volume recovery.
Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): BRK-B shows operating earnings (q1 2026) ~$11.35 billion, up ~18% year over year (approximate; verify live), net earnings (q1 2026) ~$10.1 billion, but volatile due to mark-to-market swings on equities (approximate; verify live), cash and treasurys ~$397 billion at end of Q1 2026, a record (approximate; verify live), market cap ~$1 trillion (BRK-B ~$497 per share in mid-July 2026; approximate; verify live); SSD shows revenue (full-year 2025) ~$2.33 billion, revenue (ttm through q2 2025) ~$2.38 billion, operating margin (full-year 2025) ~19.6%, net profit margin (ttm through q2 2025) ~14.5%.
The bottom line: BRK-B vs SSD
BRK-B and SSD are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BRK-B and SSD exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how BRK-B or SSD fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Berkshire Hathaway with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BRK-B fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between BRK-B and SSD?
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Berkshire Hathaway is a diversified holding company that owns a wide range of businesses outright and holds a large portfolio of public stocks. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is BRK-B or SSD the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, BRK-B or SSD?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), BRK-B trades at 23.71x and SSD at 19.33x, so SSD is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both BRK-B and SSD?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of BRK-B vs SSD?
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BRK-B: The central 2026 risk is the leadership transition itself: Buffett's judgment and reputation were core to Berkshire's edge, and the market will test whether Greg Abel can allocate capital as effectively, especially with a record cash pile to deploy. Size is another constraint: at roughly a trillion dollars in market value, Berkshire needs very large deals to move the needle, which limits its universe of opportunities and can hold cash idle. The insurance business carries catastrophe risk, as large wildfire and disaster losses have shown in recent years, and results can swing on a single bad quarter. The reported net income is volatile because accounting rules force Berkshire to mark its huge equity portfolio to market each quarter, so headline profit can gyrate on stock-price moves even when the operating businesses are steady. Berkshire also pays no dividend, so all returns must come from price appreciation and buybacks. SSD: The most direct risk is a prolonged U.S. housing downturn: trailing twelve-month housing starts for the period ending March 2025 were approximately 1.36 million, still below historical norms, and any further decline reduces connector volume and tests the ability to absorb fixed manufacturing costs. Tariffs on certain imported fastener and anchor products have already begun pressuring gross margins, as noted in Q4 2025 and Q2 2025 results, and further trade policy changes could amplify this headwind. Steel and other raw material cost inflation can compress margins faster than price increases can be implemented, particularly in competitive European markets where gross margins run closer to 35 to 36 percent. Finally, the stock's valuation (trailing P/E near 20 to 22 times) leaves limited margin for error if housing recovery proves slower than consensus expects.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BRK-B or SSD; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.