What does Warren Buffett think of ETFs?
The legendary investor doesn't just pick individual stocks -- he also likes some exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Buffett really likes one ETF, in particular. But there's an ETF that's just as good and could help you retire as a millionaire.
Should you invest in ETFs? Since ETFs offer built-in diversification and don't require large amounts of capital in order to invest in a range of stocks, they are a good way to get started. You can trade them like stocks while also enjoying a diversified portfolio.
A common misconception is that rich people pick stocks themselves, when in fact, wealthy investors are often putting their cash in index funds, ETFs, and mutual funds, Tu told MarketWatch Picks.
As of its most recent reports, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is by far the biggest holding in Berkshire's portfolio. The iPhone maker accounts for nearly half of the entire portfolio value. And Buffett hasn't been shy about how much he likes Apple.
Constantly Trading
One of the biggest reasons Ramsey cautions investors about ETFs is that they are so easy to move in and out of. Unlike traditional mutual funds, which can only be bought or sold once per day, you can buy or sell an ETF on the open market just like an individual stock at any time the market is open.
Most of Warren Buffett's portfolio through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway is comprised of individual stocks. He does own two ETFs, though, both of which are S&P 500 ETFs: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -1.63%) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY -1.63%).
ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses.
The Fidelity Blue-Chip Growth ETF FBCG has jumped 58.7% in 2023 to become the best-performing U.S. fund, excluding ETNs and leveraged products, according to FactSet data. The WisdomTree U.S. Quality Growth Fund QGRW is up 56.2% this year, while the Invesco QQQ Trust Series I QQQ has risen 55.6% in 2023.
However, there are disadvantages of ETFs. They come with fees, can stray from the value of their underlying asset, and (like any investment) come with risks.
S&P 500 ETFs are a popular choice even for billionaire investors. The index has a long track record of returning an average of 9% a year. Index funds may hold additional appeal during times of uncertainty.
Where do most millionaires invest their money?
Rank | Asset | Average Proportion of Total Wealth |
---|---|---|
1 | Primary and Secondary Homes | 32% |
2 | Equities | 18% |
3 | Commercial Property | 14% |
4 | Bonds | 12% |
The answer depends on several factors when deciding how many ETFs you should own. Generally speaking, fewer than 10 ETFs are likely enough to diversify your portfolio, but this will vary depending on your financial goals, ranging from retirement savings to income generation.
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Apple makes up a whopping 45.1% of Berkshire's entire portfolio, a position valued at roughly $163 billion. Berkshire also has a not-insignificant $4 billion position in HP Inc. Thus, technology is now Buffett's favorite sector to invest in ironically, although he would not classify it as such.
Stock | Number of Shares Owned | Value of Stake |
---|---|---|
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) | 915,560,382 | $168.3 billion |
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) | 1,032,852,006 | $33.2 billion |
American Express (NYSE:AXP) | 151,610,700 | $27.3 billion |
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) | 400,000,000 | $24.1 billion |
Symbol | Stake | |
---|---|---|
Ally Financial Inc | ALLY | 9.6% |
Amazon.com Inc | AMZN | 0.1% |
American Express Company | AXP | 21.0% |
Aon PLC | AON | 2.0% |
The Inverse Cramer Tracker ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investments results that are approximately the opposite of, before fees and expenses, the results of the investments recommended by television personality Jim Cramer.
And to go one step further, we recommend dividing your mutual fund investments equally between four types of funds: growth and income, growth, aggressive growth, and international.
If the market falls, a passively managed ETF will generally follow it down. You can find actively managed ETFs, in which fund managers actively buy and sell securities in the hope of beating an index benchmark (though most aren't able to do so consistently). But such funds aren't as common.
Buffett's favorite ETF
portfolio: the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) and the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). Both are index ETFs that track the S&P 500.
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 is the 90 10 rule Buffett?
The 90/10 strategy calls for allocating 90% of your investment capital to low-cost S&P 500 index funds and the remaining 10% to short-term government bonds. Warren Buffett described the strategy in a 2013 letter to his company's shareholders.
Liquidation of ETFs is strictly regulated; when an ETF closes, any remaining shareholders will receive a payout based on what they had invested in the ETF. Receiving an ETF payout can be a taxable event.
ETF | Assets under management | Expense ratio |
---|---|---|
Invesco QQQ Trust (ticker: QQQ) | $244 billion | 0.2% |
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) | $14 billion | 0.35% |
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) | $19 billion | 0.09% |
Global X Uranium ETF (URA) | $3 billion | 0.69% |
The largest Aggressive ETF is the iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF AOA with $1.77B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Aggressive ETF was AOA at 10.83%. The most recent ETF launched in the Aggressive space was the iShares ESG Aware Aggressive Allocation ETF EAOA on 06/12/20.
- Best Growth ETFs.
- Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)
- Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG)
- iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF)
- iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW)
- Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG)
- SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG)
- iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF (IUSG)
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