What S&P 500 index fund does Warren Buffett own?
The two investments held in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio that Buffett recommends more than anything else are two S&P 500 index funds. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO).
Warren Buffett has long recommended the S&P 500 index fund and ETF, and through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, he also owns two of these types of investments: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY).
Berkshire's 18% year-to-date returns top the S&P 500's 7% gain, and the results grow more eye-popping as the time frame extends: Berkshire's 271% return over the last decade and 50,799% surge over the last 40 years smashes the S&P's 232% and 4,213% respective gains, according to FactSet data.
The current portfolio value is calculated to be $347.36 Bil. The turnover rate is 1%. In Warren Buffett's current portfolio as of 2023-12-31, the top 5 holdings are Apple Inc (AAPL), Bank of America Corp (BAC), American Express Co (AXP), Coca-Cola Co (KO), Chevron Corp (CVX), not including call and put options.
FUND | TICKER | TOTAL ASSETS |
---|---|---|
Fidelity 500 Index Fund | FXAIX | $534 billion |
Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares | VFIAX | $1.1 trillion |
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund | SWPPX | $91.4 billion |
State Street S&P 500 Index Fund Class N | SVSPX | $1.5 billion |
- Coca-Cola (KO) Berkshire began buying Coca-Cola's stock in the fall of 1988, eventually building a $1.3 billion position. ...
- American Express (AXP) ...
- Moody's (MCO) ...
- Apple (AAPL) ...
- Globe Life (GL)
At its core, Warren Buffett's investing strategy is not all that complicated: Buy businesses, not stocks. In other words, think like a business owner, not someone who owns a piece of paper (or these days, a digital trade confirmation).
Class A shares will typically grant more voting rights than other classes. This difference is often only pertinent for shareholders who take an active role in the company. Nevertheless, because of the voting rights, A-shares are often more valuable than B shares.
First, VOO has a clear advantage in terms of expense ratio. VOO's expense ratio is 0.03% compared to 0.20% of QQQ, which is more than three times cheaper. Next is diversification. While both ETFs are well diversified, VOO is less concentrated in both industry and top 10 holdings.
The company doesn't pay a dividend and has huge amounts of cash on its balance sheet. Berkshire Hathaway is a massive holding company that needs to make big investments to move the needle.
What 5 stocks is Warren Buffett buying?
Stock | Number of Shares Owned | Value of Stake |
---|---|---|
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) | 400,000,000 | $23.8 billion |
Chevron (NYSE:CVX) | 126,093,326 | $18.9 billion |
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) | 248,018,128 | $15.1 billion |
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) | 325,634,818 | $11.3 billion |
Ticker | Company | % Portfolio |
---|---|---|
MSFT | Microsoft Corp. | 33.98% |
BRK.B | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | 16.80% |
CNI | Canadian National Railway Co. | 16.29% |
WM | Waste Management Inc. | 14.92% |
Warren Buffett was a major shareholders in Walmart until 2016, when he sold most of Berkshire Hathaway's stake in the retailer. At that time, Buffett cited Jeff Bezos and Amazon as a threat that made retail stocks a “tough” game.
Fund (ticker) | 5-year annual returns | Expense ratio |
---|---|---|
Fidelity ZERO Large Cap Index (FNILX) | 14.6% | 0% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) | 14.5% | 0.03% |
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) | 14.5% | 0.095% |
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) | 14.5% | 0.03% |
Consider looking for S&P 500 index funds with low expense ratios, several years of operation and a healthy amount of assets under management (AUM). The longer a fund has existed, the more information you have about its performance history.
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.
In 2020, Buffett said that “for most people, the best thing to do is to own the S&P 500 index fund, adding “People will try to sell you other things because there's more money in it for them if they do.” This no-frills investment strategy is one of the best for ensuring long-term, low-cost gains.
- 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.
Bank of America Corp (BAC)
At the end of March 2023, Buffett's company owns 1.01 billion shares, a value of about $33.45 billion. Buffett became a major investor in Bank of America when he bought $5 billion of shares during the 2011 debt-ceiling crisis.
Warren Buffet's 2013 letter explains the 90/10 rule—put 90% of assets in S&P 500 index funds and the other 10% in short-term government bonds.
What does Warren Buffett recommend for retirement?
According to Buffett, you should invest 90% of your retirement funds in stock-based index funds. According to Buffett, the remaining 10% should be invested in short-term government bonds. The government uses these to finance its projects.
Apple is Berkshire's largest public stock holding by far. Berkshire's $155 billion Apple stake is roughly four times larger than its second-largest holding. Buffett first bought Apple shares in the first quarter of 2016, and Apple's stock price is up more than 500% since the beginning of 2016.
It's all about the stock
So there's no reason to expect a dividend to be paid anytime soon, given the level of control and ownership Buffett has at the company. Thus, if you are an investor trying to live off the income you can generate from your portfolio, then Berkshire Hathaway would be a bad option for you.
Anyone can invest in Berkshire Hathaway if they have enough money to buy at least one Class B share (about $360 in late 2023). For comparison, hedge funds are open only to accredited investors, meaning those with a high income or net worth and who can meet the fund's minimum investment, which can be $1 million or more.
Despite being a large, mature, and stable company, Berkshire Hathaway does not pay dividends to its investors. Instead, the company chooses to reinvest retained earnings into new projects, investments, and acquisitions.
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