Which conglomerate, led by Warren Buffett, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BRK.A?

Berkshire Hathaway, led for decades by Warren Buffett, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BRK.A.

Berkshire Hathaway began as a textile company, but Buffett and his investment partners transformed it into a diversified holding company. Its businesses include insurance, rail transport, utilities, manufacturing, retail, and investments in publicly traded companies.

BRK.A refers to Berkshire’s Class A shares, which are famous for their very high price and voting rights. Berkshire also offers Class B shares, trading under BRK.B, with a much lower price and different ownership structure.

The company is relevant to market-cap comparisons because its value reflects many operating businesses and a large investment portfolio rather than one consumer brand. Berkshire’s share-price structure can cause confusion when people compare share price with total company value.