If You'd Invested $10,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Stock 10 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

By Neil Patel – Mar 26, 2026 at 7:05AM ESTKey PointsBerkshire Hathaway’s shares underperformed the S&P 500 index in the past decade.The stock price's gain has come not from valuation expansion, but from earnings growth.From 1964 through 2025, Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA 0.46%) (BRKB 0.63%) put up a remarkable return of nearly 6,100,000%. Of course, credit goes to Warren Buffett, who allocated capital in a way that makes him a legendary investor. But the conglomerate's last decade wasn't as impressive. If you'd invested $10,000 in this financial stock 10 years ago, here's how much you'd have today. Image source: Getty Images. With a share price that has risen 240% in the past decade (as of March 25), Berkshire Hathaway would've grown $10,000 into $34,000 today. This performance, while notable, lags the S&P 500's total return of 282%. The great Warren Buffett might have received criticism for losing to the market. However, Berkshire Hathaway's general avoidance of taking big stakes in technology companies has been a headwind. What's more, having hundreds of billions of dollars in cash creates a drag on returns. New CEO Greg Abel has some big shoes to fill. ExpandNYSE: BRKABerkshire HathawayToday's Change(-0.46%) $-3273.20Current Price$714976.80Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.0TDay's Range$714130.99 - $721498.9852wk Range$685150.00 - $812855.00Volume123Avg Vol640Gross Margin23.63% Berkshire Hathaway currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.4. Exactly 10 years ago, its P/E multiple was 14.4. So, valuation expansion was not the main catalyst that benefited investors. Instead, it was profit gains that propelled the stock. Berkshire Hathaway's earnings per share (EPS) increased by 218% between 2015 and 2025. Investors can probably expect the stock's performance in the long run to resemble EPS growth. Read NextMar 26, 2026 •By Sean WilliamsWarren Buffett and Greg Abel Spent $78 Billion Buying This Stock Since 2018 -- That's More Than Was Spent Buying Apple, Chevron, Bank of America, and Occidental Petroleum, Combined!Mar 24, 2026 •By Rachel WarrenHow to Buy Dominion Energy Stock (D) in 2026Mar 23, 2026 •By Jeremy BowmanNervous About the Oil Crisis? This Market-Crushing Stock is an Absolute No-Brainer Buy For YouMar 23, 2026 •By James BrumleyBerkshire Hathaway Is Buying Back Its Own Stock for the First Time Since 2024. Here's What It Signals.Mar 22, 2026 •By Billy DubersteinI Was Shocked at Who Is Now Running Berkshire Hathaway's $308 Billion Stock PortfolioMar 21, 2026 •By Adam LevyBefore Retiring, Warren Buffett Left Investors With a $373 Billion Warning. Here's What History Says the Stock Market Will Do Next.About the AuthorNeil Patel is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering consumer staples, consumer discretionary, financials, information technology, and communication services. Prior to The Motley Fool, Neil worked in corporate finance roles at JPMorgan Chase and Capital One. He also has experience working on a start-up in the cryptocurrency space. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in finance from Ohio State University.TMFNeilPatelStocks MentionedBerkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKB$476.31(-0.63%)-$3.03Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKA$714,976.80(-0.46%)-$3,273.20S&P 500 IndexSNPINDEX: ^GSPC$6,591.90(+0.54%)+$35.53*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.