Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sports an enviable long-term track record for investors. But not even Buffett is No. 1 among the S&P 500 in the long run.
Twelve stocks in the S&P 500 — including Amgen, Apple and Stryker — have outperformed Berkshire Hathaway going back to April 16, 1985, the furthest back S&P Global Market Intelligence has trading history on the stock. And that's no small feat as Berkshire Hathaway is no slouch. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway are up 44,406%, or 16% compounded annually, in that time.
The measurement is all the more relevant as Buffett announced plans last weekend to retire by the end of 2025. "Meeting goers witnessed the end of the longest CEO tenure in American business history," said Cathy Seifert, vice president at CFRA Research.
The Top Buffett Beater? Amgen
Southern California's biotech king Amgen is the S&P 500 firm that's topped Buffett by the most. It's up 255,943%, or nearly 22% compounded annually, since 1985.
Much of those gains stem from earlier days in the company's history. Amgen was the innovator of several key oncology drugs. But now its RS Rating is just 33. And the days of double-digit earnings growth have also faded. Analysts think its EPS will only grow 5% this year.
Apple is another S&P 500 winner due to earlier days. The iPhone maker's shares are up 205,918% from April 1985. That works out to 21% a year compounded. This stock, too, is pulling back from its amazing long-term run. Its RS Rating is just 38. And analysts think its earnings per share will rise just 7% this year. That's a far cry from its 30% EPS growth in 2018. Apple has been a large holding of Berkshire Hathaway for years.
Now you can see why Buffett told investors Apple made more for Berkshire Hathaway investors than he did.
S&P 500 Stocks That Beat Buffett In The Long Term
From April 16, 1985
| Company | Ticker | Gain | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amgen | AMGN | 255,943.2% | Health Care |
| Apple | AAPL | 205,918.2% | Information Technology |
| Stryker | SYK | 96,244.4% | Health Care |
| Home Depot | HD | 91,463.3% | Consumer Discretionary |
| Danaher | DHR | 82,743.7% | Health Care |
| Progressive | PGR | 81,524.6% | Financials |
| Applied Materials | AMAT | 76,755.4% | Information Technology |
| Paychex | PAYX | 73,203.9% | Industrials |
| Williams-Sonoma | WSM | 69,878.8% | Consumer Discretionary |
| Texas Pacific Land | TPL | 63,337.4% | Energy |
| Raymond James Financial | RJF | 48,873.2% | Financials |
| Cintas | CTAS | 47,189.7% | Industrials |
| Berkshire Hathaway | BRKA | 44,406.4% | Financials |
