Berkshire Hathaway vs Honeywell: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income. Honeywell reported $37.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $4.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Berkshire Hathaway
- Latest revenue
- $371.4B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $67B
- Net margin
- 18.0%
- Revenue growth
- +6.3% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Honeywell
- Latest revenue
- $37.4B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $4.7B
- Net margin
- 12.6%
- Revenue growth
- -0.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire reported 2025 revenue of $371.444 billion, operating earnings of $44.486 billion (down from $47.437 billion in 2024 and above the five-year average of about $37.5 billion), and net earnings attributable to shareholders of $66.968 billion. GAAP net earnings swing with the equity portfolio: 2025 included $30.737 billion of after-tax investment gains and $8.255 billion of after-tax impairments on Kraft Heinz and Occidental. The businesses produced $46 billion of net cash from operating activities. Insurance earned $9.460 billion of pre-tax underwriting profit, with GEICO contributing $6.824 billion, and insurance float grew to $176 billion from $171 billion a year earlier. Shareholders' equity ended 2025 at $717.4 billion, up $68.1 billion, and the insurance and other businesses held $369.0 billion of cash, cash equivalents and US Treasury Bills. Berkshire repurchased no stock in 2025 and has paid no dividend since 1967.
Honeywell
Legacy Honeywell reported $37.4 billion of FY2025 sales from continuing operations (after the Solstice spin) and $4.7 billion of net income. Recast for the Aerospace spin-off, the continuing automation business had a $19.9 billion FY2025 sales base. In Q2 2026, Honeywell Technologies alone posted $5.19 billion of sales (up 3% reported, 4% organic), orders up 16%, a 19.0% segment margin (up 100 basis points), and adjusted EPS of $1.95. Reported EPS of $16.65 was inflated by a one-time gain on deconsolidating Quantinuum. After the quarter, management guided 2026 sales to $19.8-20.0 billion and adjusted EPS to $8.05-8.35, reflecting a 1-for-2 reverse stock split that cut the share count to about 317 million.
Revenue and profit by year
Berkshire Hathaway
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $371.4B | $67B | 18.0% | +0.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $371.4B | $89B | 24.0% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $364.5B | $96.2B | 26.4% | +20.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | $302B | -$22.8B | -7.5% | +9.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $276.2B | $89.9B | 32.6% | +12.5% | Source |
| FY2020 | $245.6B | $42.5B | 17.3% | -3.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $254.6B | $81.4B | 32.0% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $247.8B | $4B | 1.6% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $239.9B | $44.9B | 18.7% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $215.1B | $24.1B | 11.2% | — | Source |
Honeywell
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $37.4B | $4.7B | 12.6% | +7.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $34.7B | $5.7B | 16.4% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $33B | $5.7B | 17.1% | -6.9% | Source |
| FY2022 | $35.5B | $5B | 14.0% | +3.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | $34.4B | $5.5B | 16.1% | +5.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $32.6B | $4.8B | 14.6% | -11.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $36.7B | $6.1B | 16.7% | -12.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $41.8B | $6.8B | 16.2% | +3.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | $40.5B | $1.5B | 3.8% | +3.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $39.3B | $4.8B | 12.2% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Berkshire Hathaway
- Insurance premiums earned23.9%
GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group earned $88.902B of premiums in 2025 and produced $9.460B of pre-tax underwriting earnings.
- Sales and service revenues53.7%
Manufacturing, service and retailing businesses, plus McLane and Pilot distribution, generated $199.524B of sales and service revenue in 2025, the largest revenue line and a thin-margin one.
- Interest, dividend and other investment income6.3%
Investment income of $23.261B in 2025 came mostly from US Treasury Bills and dividends on the equity portfolio.
- Freight rail transportation6.3%
BNSF produced $23.330B of freight revenue in 2025 hauling consumer products, industrial products, agricultural and energy products and coal.
- Utility and energy operating revenues5.9%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy's regulated utilities and pipelines produced $21.856B in 2025, serving about 5.4 million retail customers.
- Leasing revenues2.7%
Leasing businesses including XTRA trailer leasing and other equipment lessors produced $10.034B in 2025.
- Railroad, utilities and energy service revenues and other income1.2%
Service revenues and other income inside the railroad, utilities and energy group added $4.537B in 2025.
Honeywell
- Building Automation~38%
Building controls, fire, security, energy management, software, services, and connected facility systems.
- Industrial and Process Automation~46%
Process controls, warehouse automation, sensors, safety products, productivity systems, and industrial software.
- Software, Services, and Aftermarket~16%
Recurring software, upgrades, service contracts, connected worker products, and installed-base support.
Business model and strategy
Berkshire Hathaway
How it makes money
Berkshire's business model is capital allocation on top of a decentralized group of operating companies. Subsidiary managers run their own businesses, with no corporate budget submissions and no committee structure at headquarters, and send surplus cash to Omaha.
Growth strategy
Berkshire's size limits what can move its results, so growth comes from large purchases, reinvestment inside existing businesses and buying back its own stock. Buffett described the 2009 BNSF agreement, a $34 billion investment in the railroad, as an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States.
Competitive advantage
Berkshire's advantages are permanent capital, a balance sheet that stays liquid by design, and a reputation that brings sellers to it.
Honeywell
How it makes money
Honeywell Technologies makes money by selling and servicing automation systems for three end markets. Building Automation sells fire, security, access-control, and building-management systems plus installation and service. Industrial Automation sells sensors, gas detection, and control products.
Growth strategy
Honeywell's growth plan is to concentrate capital on automation. Since 2023 it has spent about $11.5 billion on acquisitions such as Carrier's Access Solutions business, Air Products' LNG process business, Sundyne, Compressor Controls, SCADAfence, Li-ion Tamer, and Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies, while selling lower-fit units (PPE in 2025, WWS and PSS in 2026).
Competitive advantage
Honeywell's edge is its installed base. Decades of control systems in refineries, LNG plants, and commercial buildings create switching costs, because replacing a distributed control system or a fire and life-safety network is risky and expensive.
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Honeywell
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Honeywell Technologies?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025), while Honeywell Technologies reported $37.4B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with Honeywell Technologies reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Honeywell Technologies?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.07T, while Honeywell Technologies's is $67.4B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Honeywell Technologies.
Which is more financially efficient — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Honeywell Technologies?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee in revenue per employee, while Honeywell Technologies generates $749k / employee. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Honeywell Technologies make money?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Honeywell Technologies generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: Berkshire's business model is capital allocation on top of a decentralized group of operating companies. Honeywell Technologies: Honeywell Technologies makes money by selling and servicing automation systems for three end markets.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Honeywell Technologies?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trades at 2.9x P/S and Honeywell Technologies at 1.8x P/S. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Honeywell Technologies. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bigger than Honeywell Technologies?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Honeywell Technologies ($37.4B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Berkshire Hathaway vs Honeywell overview