Berkshire Hathaway vs Travelers: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income. Travelers reported $48.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $6.3B 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
Travelers
- Latest revenue
- $48.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $6.3B
- Net margin
- 12.9%
- Revenue growth
- +6.5% 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.
Travelers
Travelers reported $48.828 billion in total revenues and $6.288 billion in net income for 2025, up from $46.423 billion and $4.999 billion in 2024. Core income was about $6.3 billion, or $27.59 per diluted share, for a core return on equity of 19.4%, and net written premiums reached a record $44.4 billion. Results kept improving in 2026: second-quarter net income was $2.208 billion ($10.26 per diluted share) versus $1.509 billion a year earlier, with an 83.6% combined ratio, $518 million of catastrophe losses and $883 million of after-tax net investment income. The company returned $1.577 billion to shareholders in that quarter alone.
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 |
Travelers
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $48.8B | $6.3B | 12.9% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | $46.4B | $5B | 10.8% | +12.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $41.4B | $3B | 7.2% | +12.1% | Source |
| FY2022 | $36.9B | $2.8B | 7.7% | +5.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $34.8B | $3.7B | 10.5% | +8.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $32B | $2.7B | 8.4% | +1.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $31.6B | $2.6B | 8.3% | +4.3% | Source |
| FY2018 | $30.3B | $2.5B | 8.3% | +4.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $28.9B | $2.1B | 7.1% | +4.6% | Source |
| FY2016 | $27.6B | $3B | 10.9% | — | 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.
Travelers
- Net earned premiums~88%
Premiums from Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance and Personal Insurance policies. Travelers wrote a record $44.4 billion of net premiums in 2025.
- Net investment income~9%
Income from the high-grade, mostly fixed-income portfolio funded by policyholder float and shareholder capital.
- Fee income and other revenues~3%
Fees from servicing workers' compensation residual-market pools and national accounts, plus other revenues such as Simply Business brokerage commissions.
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.
Travelers
How it makes money
The Travelers Companies operates a leading property and casualty (P&C) commercial and personal insurance underwriting model. The company generates revenue through two complementary engines: insurance premium collection across Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance, and net investment income generated by its large, high-grade fixed-income float portfolio exceeding $100 billion.
Growth strategy
Travelers' growth strategy is built around its dual 'Perform and Transform' framework. Under 'Perform', the company emphasizes underwriting discipline, granular risk pricing, aggressive claims management, and investment yield optimization across its three core divisions: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.
Competitive advantage
Travelers has brand trust, deep agent and broker relationships, underwriting data, claim infrastructure, financial strength, and specialty capabilities such as surety. Its independent-agent reach gives it broad commercial distribution without building a purely direct-to-consumer marketing machine.
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Travelers
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025), while The Travelers Companies, Inc. reported $48.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with The Travelers Companies, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.07T, while The Travelers Companies, Inc.'s is $77.0B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to The Travelers Companies, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee in revenue per employee, while The Travelers Companies, Inc. generates $1.50M / employee. The Travelers Companies, 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 The Travelers Companies, Inc. make money?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and The Travelers Companies, 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. The Travelers Companies, Inc.: The Travelers Companies operates a leading property and casualty (P&C) commercial and personal insurance underwriting model.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trades at 2.9x P/S and The Travelers Companies, Inc. at 1.6x P/S. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to The Travelers Companies, 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 The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to The Travelers Companies, Inc. ($48.8B (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 Travelers overview