Berkshire Hathaway vs Post Holdings: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income. Post Holdings reported $6.2B of revenue in FY2026 and $242.1M 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
Post Holdings
- Latest revenue
- $6.2B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $242.1M
- Net margin
- 3.9%
- Revenue growth
- +2.1% a year, FY2016–FY2026
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.
Post Holdings
Post Holdings grew net sales from $4.71 billion in fiscal 2020 to $8.158 billion in fiscal 2025, mostly through acquisitions such as the Smucker pet food brands (2023), Perfection Pet Foods (2023), Potato Products of Idaho (March 2025) and 8th Avenue Food & Provisions (July 2025). Fiscal 2025 net earnings were $335.7 million. For the nine months to June 30, 2026, net sales rose to $6.166 billion and Adjusted EBITDA to $1.191 billion, while net earnings fell 15% to $242.1 million on higher interest costs. Post does not pay a dividend and repurchased 9.1 million shares for $908.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2026. Management narrowed fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $1.56-$1.57 billion.
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 |
Post Holdings
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $6.2B | $242.1M | 3.9% | -24.4% | Source |
| FY2025 | $8.2B | $335.7M | 4.1% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $7.9B | $366.7M | 4.6% | +13.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $7B | $301.3M | 4.3% | +19.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $5.9B | $756.6M | 12.9% | +17.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $5B | $166.7M | 3.3% | +5.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $4.7B | $800,000 | 0.0% | -17.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $5.7B | $124.7M | 2.2% | -9.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $6.3B | $467.3M | 7.5% | +19.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $5.2B | $48.3M | 0.9% | +4.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $5B | -$3.3M | -0.1% | — | 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.
Post Holdings
- Post Consumer Brands
Not formally reported
Cereal, granola, pet food, nut butters, and pantry products.
- Weetabix
Not formally reported
U.K. cereal and breakfast products.
- Foodservice
Not formally reported
Egg products and foodservice ingredients.
- Refrigerated Retail
Not formally reported
Bob Evans side dishes, sausage and egg products. The Crystal Farms dairy business was sold on May 1, 2026.
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.
Post Holdings
How it makes money
Post makes money by manufacturing and selling packaged food through four segments. Post Consumer Brands sells branded and private-label cereal and granola (Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Malt-O-Meal), pet food (Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits) and Peter Pan peanut butter to grocery, mass and club retailers.
Growth strategy
Post grows mainly by buying businesses and integrating them into existing plants and sales teams. Recent moves include the $1.2 billion purchase of Smucker pet food brands (April 2023), Perfection Pet Foods for $235 million (December 2023), Potato Products of Idaho (March 2025) and 8th Avenue Food & Provisions (July 2025).
Competitive advantage
Post's edge is scale in less glamorous categories plus a capital-allocation discipline that treats acquisitions, debt and buybacks as interchangeable uses of cash. Michael Foods is a major supplier of value-added eggs to foodservice, Weetabix is the UK's number-one selling ready-to-eat cereal brand, and Post Consumer Brands covers both branded and private-label cereal, which lets it sell to shoppers who trade down.
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Post Holdings
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Post Holdings, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025), while Post Holdings, Inc. reported $6.2B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with Post Holdings, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Post Holdings, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.07T, while Post Holdings, Inc.'s is $4.7B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Post Holdings, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Post Holdings, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee in revenue per employee, while Post Holdings, Inc. generates $468k / 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 Post Holdings, Inc. make money?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Post Holdings, Inc. 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. Post Holdings, Inc.: Post makes money by manufacturing and selling packaged food through four segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Post Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trades at 2.9x P/S and Post Holdings, Inc. at 0.8x P/S. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Post Holdings, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bigger than Post Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Post Holdings, Inc. ($6.2B (FY2026)). 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 Post Holdings overview