Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK-A (NYSE)

(%)

Models
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

# Render description block
model.render_description({
    "data": r"""
### Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

The return on capital or invested capital in a business attempts to measure the return earned on capital invested in an investment.

> Read more on [Aswath Damodaran - Return Measures PDF](https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/pdfiles/papers/returnmeasures.pdf)

### ROIC Formula

`Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)` = `Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)` / `Invested Capital`

The Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) is calculated using the reported Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) or Operating Income on the income statement adjusted for the tax liability.

`Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)` = `Operating Income` * (1 - `Income Tax Rate`)

There are two ways to calculate invested capital: One looks at the company's assets, and another looks at its financing from debt and equity. In this model, we are using the financing based approach.

`Invested Capital` = `Total Stockholders Equity` + `Total Debt` - `Cash and Short Term Investments`

We then adjust `Invested Capital` and `Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)`  for **capitalized R&D expenses**.
""",
    "properties": {
        "width": "responsive"
    }
})

# --- Historical Data
data.compute({
    "user:%incomeTaxRate": """
        income:incomeTaxExpense / income:incomeBeforeTax
    """,
    "user:netOperatingProfitAfterTaxNopat": """
        income:operatingIncome * (1 - user:%incomeTaxRate)
    """,
    "user:investedCapital": """
        balance:totalStockholdersEquity
        + balance:totalDebt
        - balance:cashAndShortTermInvestments
    """,
    "user:%returnOnInvestedCapitalRoic": """
        user:netOperatingProfitAfterTaxNopat / user:investedCapital
    """,
}, forecast=0, timeseries="annual")

model.render_table({
    "timeseries": "annual",
    "data": {
        "user:%incomeTaxRate": "Income Tax Rate",
        "income:operatingIncome": "Operating Income",
        "user:netOperatingProfitAfterTaxNopat": "Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)",
        "balance:totalStockholdersEquity": "Total Stockholders Equity",
        "balance:totalDebt": "+ Total Debt",
        "balance:cashAndShortTermInvestments": "- Cash and Short Term Investments",
        "user:investedCapital": "= Invested Capital",
        "user:%returnOnInvestedCapitalRoic": "Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)",
    },
    "start": -5,
    "end": 0,
    "properties": {
        "title": "Historical Data",
        "order": "descending",
        "number_format": "M",
        "include_ltm": True,
        "display_averages": False,
        "width": "responsive"
    }
})

# --- R&D Amortization
assumptions.set({
    "timeseries": "annual",
    "data": {
        "#rDAmortizationYears": """
            5
        """,
    },
    "titles": {
        "#rDAmortizationYears": "R&D Amortization Years",
    },
    "properties": {
        "width": "responsive",
        "title": "R&D Amortization",
        "id": "component-10",
        "bindTo": None
    },
    "descriptions": {
        "#rDAmortizationYears": r"""
Represents the assumed useful life (in years) over which R&D spending is capitalized and amortized to form a **“research asset.”**

A longer period increases the capitalized R&D asset (raising invested capital) and typically lowers adjusted ROIC; a shorter period does the opposite.
        """,
    }
})

# --- R&D Amortization Calculations
data.compute({
    "user:#unamortizedRDRatio": """
        (0 > time:index >= -assumption:#rDAmortizationYears) 
        * (assumption:#rDAmortizationYears + time:index + 1) / assumption:#rDAmortizationYears
    """,
    "user:unamortizedRDValue": """
        income:researchAndDevelopmentExpenses * user:#unamortizedRDRatio
    """,
    "user:#rDAmortizationRatio": """
        (0 > 1 + time:index >= - assumption:#rDAmortizationYears) * 1 / assumption:#rDAmortizationYears
    """,
    "user:rDAmortizationThisYear": """
        income:researchAndDevelopmentExpenses * user:#rDAmortizationRatio
    """,
}, forecast=0, timeseries="annual")

model.render_table({
    "timeseries": "annual",
    "data": {
        "income:researchAndDevelopmentExpenses": "Research and Development Expenses",
        "user:#unamortizedRDRatio": "Unamortized R&D Ratio",
        "user:unamortizedRDValue": "Unamortized R&D Value",
        "user:#rDAmortizationRatio": "R&D Amortization Ratio",
        "user:rDAmortizationThisYear": "R&D Amortization This Year",
    },
    "start": data.get("""
        -assumption:#rDAmortizationYears - 1
    """),
    "end": 0,
    "properties": {
        "title": "R&D Amortization Calculations",
        "order": "descending",
        "number_format": "M",
        "include_ltm": False,
        "display_averages": False,
        "width": "responsive"
    }
})

# Render description block
model.render_description({
    "data": r"""
### Capitalizing R&D Expenses

As per prof. Aswath Damodaran's paper:
> "Research expenses, notwithstanding the uncertainty about future benefits, should be capitalized."

Capitalizing R&D expenses treats R&D as an intangible investment. We estimate a “research asset” as the sum of unamortized R&D based on the selected amortization period.

`Value of the Research Asset` = Sum of `Unamortized R&D Value`

We also record annual amortization of that asset.

`Amortization of Research Asset` = Sum of `R&D Amortization This Year`

We then adjust profitability and capital to reflect this treatment:

`ROIC Adjusted for Capitalized R&D` = `Adjusted NOPAT` / `Adjusted Invested Capital`
""",
    "properties": {
        "width": "responsive"
    }
})

# --- Adjusted ROIC Calculation
data.compute_results({
    "amortizationOfResearchAsset": """
         function:sum(start=-assumption:#rDAmortizationYears - 1, end=-1):user:rDAmortizationThisYear
    """,
    "adjustedNopat": """
        user:netOperatingProfitAfterTaxNopat
        + income:researchAndDevelopmentExpenses
        - result:amortizationOfResearchAsset
    """,
    "valueOfTheResearchAsset": """
         function:sum(start=-assumption:#rDAmortizationYears - 1, end=-1):user:unamortizedRDValue 
    """,
    "adjustedStockholdersEquity": """
        balance:totalStockholdersEquity + result:valueOfTheResearchAsset
    """,
    "adjustedInvestedCapital": """
        result:adjustedStockholdersEquity
        + balance:totalDebt
        - balance:cashAndShortTermInvestments
    """,
    "%roicAdjustedForCapitalizedRD": """
        result:adjustedNopat / result:adjustedInvestedCapital
    """,
}, timeseries="annual")

model.render_results({
    "timeseries": "annual",
    "data": {
        "user:netOperatingProfitAfterTaxNopat": {
            "label": "Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "income:researchAndDevelopmentExpenses": {
            "label": "+ Research and Development Expenses",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:amortizationOfResearchAsset": {
            "label": "- Amortization of Research Asset",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:adjustedNopat": {
            "label": "= Adjusted NOPAT",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "balance:totalStockholdersEquity": {
            "label": "Total Stockholders Equity",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:valueOfTheResearchAsset": {
            "label": "+ Value of the Research Asset",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:adjustedStockholdersEquity": {
            "label": "= Adjusted Stockholders Equity",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "balance:totalDebt": {
            "label": "+ Total Debt",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "balance:cashAndShortTermInvestments": {
            "label": "- Cash and Short Term Investments",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:adjustedInvestedCapital": {
            "label": "= Adjusted Invested Capital",
            "type": "$"
        },
        "result:%roicAdjustedForCapitalizedRD": {
            "label": "ROIC Adjusted for Capitalized R&D",
            "type": "%"
        },
    },
    "properties": {
        "title": "Adjusted ROIC Calculation",
        "width": "responsive",
        "hidden_keys": []
    }
})

# --- Return on Invested Capital
model.set_final_value({
    "value": data.get("""
        user:%returnOnInvestedCapitalRoic
    """, timeseries="annual"),
    "units": "%",
    "title": "Return on Invested Capital",
    "properties": {
        "width": "full" 
    }
})

Return on Invested Capital

%

* Values are not guaranteed, please do your own
research before making investment decisions.

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

The return on capital or invested capital in a business attempts to measure the return earned on capital invested in an investment.

Read more on Aswath Damodaran - Return Measures PDF

ROIC Formula

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) = Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) / Invested Capital

The Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) is calculated using the reported Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) or Operating Income on the income statement adjusted for the tax liability.

Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) = Operating Income * (1 - Income Tax Rate)

There are two ways to calculate invested capital: One looks at the company's assets, and another looks at its financing from debt and equity. In this model, we are using the financing based approach.

Invested Capital = Total Stockholders Equity + Total Debt - Cash and Short Term Investments

We then adjust Invested Capital and Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) for capitalized R&D expenses.

Historical Data

Monetary values in USD amounts except #	LTM Mar 19	2025 Dec 31	2024 Dec 31	2023 Dec 31	2022 Dec 31	2021 Dec 31
Income Tax Rate	18.43%	18.43%	18.86%	19.16%	27.88%	18.69%
Operating Income	50,915	59,540	108,535	118,193	-32,363	110,975
Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)	41,530	48,565	88,067	95,552	-23,342	90,229
Total Stockholders Equity	717,419	717,419	649,368	561,273	473,424	506,199
+ Total Debt	138,954	138,954	130,758	133,570	127,683	119,253
- Cash and Short Term Investments	373,311	373,311	334,201	167,641	128,585	146,719
= Invested Capital	483,062	483,062	445,925	527,202	472,522	478,733
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)	8.6%	10.05%	19.75%	18.12%	-4.94%	18.85%

R&D Amortization

R&D Amortization Calculations

Monetary values in USD amounts except #	2025 Dec 31	2024 Dec 31	2023 Dec 31	2022 Dec 31	2021 Dec 31	2020 Dec 31
Research and Development Expenses	0	0	0	0	0	0
Unamortized R&D Ratio	1.0	0.8	0.6	0.4	0.2	0.0
Unamortized R&D Value	0	0	0	0	0	0
R&D Amortization Ratio	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
R&D Amortization This Year	0	0	0	0	0	0

Capitalizing R&D Expenses

As per prof. Aswath Damodaran's paper:

"Research expenses, notwithstanding the uncertainty about future benefits, should be capitalized."

Capitalizing R&D expenses treats R&D as an intangible investment. We estimate a “research asset” as the sum of unamortized R&D based on the selected amortization period.

Value of the Research Asset = Sum of Unamortized R&D Value

We also record annual amortization of that asset.

Amortization of Research Asset = Sum of R&D Amortization This Year

We then adjust profitability and capital to reflect this treatment:

ROIC Adjusted for Capitalized R&D = Adjusted NOPAT / Adjusted Invested Capital

Adjusted ROIC Calculation
Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT)	41.53 Bil. USD
+ Research and Development Expenses	0 USD
- Amortization of Research Asset	0 USD
= Adjusted NOPAT	41.53 Bil. USD
Total Stockholders Equity	717.4 Bil. USD
+ Value of the Research Asset	0 USD
= Adjusted Stockholders Equity	717.4 Bil. USD
+ Total Debt	139 Bil. USD
- Cash and Short Term Investments	373.3 Bil. USD
= Adjusted Invested Capital	483.1 Bil. USD
ROIC Adjusted for Capitalized R&D	8.6%

Return on Invested Capital