Warren Buffett’s ETF Picks: Unveiling His Top 2 Choices For Savvy Investors (2024)

David Nadelle

·3 min read

There are a few tenets central to Warren Buffett’s investing philosophy. Chief among them is holding on to stock for the long-term, letting them grow wealth through compound interest. He has said, “When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.”

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Such is his influence that CNBC keeps a Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio Tracker, or a “Buffett Watch,” on its site that it updates regularly. And why not? As one of the most successful investors in history, Buffett believers keep a close eye on everything the “Oracle of Omaha” says and does.

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Although the 93-year-old co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire built his wealth through investing in strong brands with excellent financials, like Coca-Cola and American Express, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate other investments like exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Berkshire’s portfolio contains two ETFs: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE ticker symbol: SPY) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). Though they makeup a very small percentage of Berkshire’s investment basket, Buffett recognizes these important diversifications. “In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett said at Berkshire’s 2020 annual meeting.

Also here’s how much you’d have now if you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway 10 years ago.

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Buffett’s ETF Investment Picks

Buffett’s right, “for most people,” ETFs make sense. We all can’t invest billions of dollars into mega-corps. But we can invest in low-cost, low-maintenance index fund investments that can be foundational holdings for long-term, buy-and-hold portfolios. Investing in S&P 500 ETFs are a safe way to own shares of the 500 largest U.S. companies across multiple sectors.

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SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Although it makes up a negligible percentage of Berkshire’s portfolio, Buffett is a fan of the most heavily traded of State Street Global Advisors’S&P 500 ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust. While it’s not the cheapest — there’s an annual management fee of $9.45 for every $10,000 invested — it’s very competitive and the most well-established ETF on the market.

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

Berkshire owns a little more of the Vanguard ETF than SPDR and mentioned in a 2013 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that if you’re choosing between the two, “I suggest Vanguard’s,” according to the Motley Fool. While both ETFs own many of the same funds, VOO has an expense ration cheaper than SPDR, charging 0.03% compared to 0.095%. As CNBC Make It reported, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it can save and make you more over the long haul and that’s something that’s right up Buffett’s alley.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Warren Buffett’s ETF Picks: Unveiling His Top 2 Choices For Savvy Investors

Warren Buffett’s ETF Picks: Unveiling His Top 2 Choices For Savvy Investors (2024)

FAQs

Warren Buffett’s ETF Picks: Unveiling His Top 2 Choices For Savvy Investors? ›

Berkshire's portfolio contains two ETFs: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE ticker symbol: SPY) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). Though they makeup a very small percentage of Berkshire's investment basket, Buffett recognizes these important diversifications.

What are the Warren Buffett's first 3 rules of investing money? ›

What are Warren Buffett's biggest investing rules?
  • Rule 1: Never lose money. This is considered by many to be Buffett's most important rule and is the foundation of his investment philosophy. ...
  • Rule 2: Focus on the long term. ...
  • Rule 3: Know what you're investing in.
Mar 6, 2024

What are Warren Buffett's 5 rules of investing? ›

A: Five rules drawn from Warren Buffett's wisdom for potentially building wealth include investing for the long term, staying informed, maintaining a competitive advantage, focusing on quality, and managing risk.

What is the best S&P 500 ETF? ›

Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, the Vanguard, iShares, and SPDR versions of S&P 500 ETFs are all solid bets for broad market exposure. If you insist on the best, the Vanguard fund provides a Goldilocks combination of the lowest possible fees and mid-range suitability for options trades.

What did Warren Buffett invest in to get rich? ›

His fortune is largely tied to his investment company.

The vast majority of Buffett's net worth is tied to Berkshire Hathaway, his publicly traded conglomerate that owns businesses like Geico and See's Candies and holds multibillion-dollar stakes in companies like Apple and Coca-Cola.

What is the 70 30 rule Warren Buffett? ›

What Is a 70/30 Portfolio? A 70/30 portfolio is an investment portfolio where 70% of investment capital is allocated to stocks and 30% to fixed-income securities, primarily bonds.

What are the Warren Buffett 2 rules? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule.

What is Warren Buffett's golden rule? ›

"Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1."- Warren Buffet.

How many hours a day does Warren Buffett read? ›

Indeed, the Oracle of Omaha has said that he spends "five or six hours a day" reading books and newspapers. And while it may be difficult to set aside nearly a full work day's worth of hours to read, it recently got a little bit easier to consume information like Warren Buffett.

What did Warren Buffett tell his wife to invest in? ›

In the interview, he said the Berkshire shares would go to philanthropy. Part of the cash would go directly to his wife and part to a trustee. He told the trustee to put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a low-cost S&P 500 index fund.

What is the number 1 ETF to buy? ›

Top U.S. market-cap index ETFs
Fund (ticker)YTD performanceExpense ratio
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)7.7 percent0.03 percent
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)7.6 percent0.095 percent
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)7.7 percent0.03 percent
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)5.8 percent0.20 percent

What is the most successful ETF? ›

1. VanEck Semiconductor ETF. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tracks a market-cap-weighted index of 25 of the largest U.S.-listed semiconductors companies. Midcap companies and foreign companies listed in the U.S. can also be included in the index.

Which index ETF has the highest return? ›

100 Highest 5 Year ETF Returns
SymbolName5-Year Return
MGKVanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF19.22%
QTECFirst Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund19.19%
TMFCMotley Fool 100 Index ETF18.83%
NULGNuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF18.75%
93 more rows

What happened to Warren Buffett's wife? ›

Susan died at the age of 72 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage during the summer of 2004 in Cody, Wyoming. Bono performed "Forever Young" and "All I Want Is You" at her funeral. Warren was so grief-stricken that he did not attend.

What does Warren Buffett pay himself? ›

Mr. Buffett's annual compensation has been $100,000 for more than 35 years and Mr. Buffett has advised the Committee that he would not expect or desire such compensation to increase in the future.”

What kind of car does Warren Buffett drive? ›

Buffett's current vehicle, the 2014 Cadillac XTS that he has owned for approximately ten years, is a testament to his reputation for frugality. Despite his ability to afford any luxury car, Buffett drives a vehicle far from the flashy exotic cars one might associate with a billionaire.

What are the three golden rules of money? ›

The three golden rules of accounting are (1) debit all expenses and losses, credit all incomes and gains, (2) debit the receiver, credit the giver, and (3) debit what comes in, credit what goes out. These rules are the basis of double-entry accounting, first attributed to Luca Pacioli.

What are the three criteria of Warren Buffett? ›

“You're looking for three things, generally, in a person,” says Buffett. “Intelligence, energy, and integrity.

What is the #1 rule of investing? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

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