is there somewhere I can see all the different class A and B shares? I looking for highly correlated pairs like this... Any and all feedback is much appreciated!!!
In the case of BRK.A and BRK.B, each "A" share is worth about 30x as much as a "B" share, and "B" shares have almost no voting rights. In the case of Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A and RDS.B), the company was created from the merger of a British company and a Dutch company. The "A" share dividends are paid by the "Dutch" side of the company, and have Dutch income taxes withhheld. The "B" share dividends are paid by the "British" side of the company, and apparently is somehow more advantageous for "most" individual American holders of the ADR shares. From what I remember, the reason why both are available via ADR shares is that "B" shares are more cost-effective for small shareholders to own, but "A" shares are more cost-effective for institutional and large investors (with the accounting resources to get the withheld taxes rebated directly instead of reimbursing the sponsoring bank to do it instead).