Is Berkshire Hathaway Stock a Better Buy Than an S&P 500 Index Fund?

Key Points Berkshire Hathaway and S&P 500 index funds are both smart, all-around choices for long-term investors. Although both are solid buy-and-hold investments, they're distinctly different in a way that may matter quite a bit. The market environment could be very different for the next several years, changing their risk-reward profiles. 10 stocks we like better than Berkshire Hathaway › Experienced investors know the advantages of buying and holding S&P 500 index funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) or the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) . Not only are they super simple, but statistically speaking, you're likely to get better performance from them than you are by picking individual stocks or by owning an actively managed fund.