You do not need to pick individual stocks straight away. You do not need to forecast earnings next quarter. And you definitely do not need to trade every week.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can provide instant diversification and exposure to global markets with a single trade.

With that in mind, here are three ASX ETFs that could make sense for beginner investors in March and beyond.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

The first ETF for beginner investors to consider buying is the iShares S&P 500 ETF.

This fund tracks the famous S&P 500 index, giving investors exposure to 500 of the largest stocks in the United States. That includes businesses such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT).

Rather than trying to pick which US stock will perform best, this ASX ETF spreads your investment across the broad US market. The S&P 500 index has historically delivered strong long-term returns, supported by innovation, corporate profitability, and economic growth.

For beginners, this type of broad exposure can provide a solid foundation.

Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT)

If you want exposure closer to home, the Betashares Australian Quality ETF could be worth a look.

This ASX ETF focuses on high-quality Australian shares that boast strong balance sheets, stable earnings, and high return on equity. It aims to tilt towards the best businesses rather than simply tracking the market.

Holdings often include established names with durable competitive positions and solid financial metrics.

For a new investor, a quality-focused approach can reduce exposure to weaker businesses and provide a smoother ride over time. This fund was recently recommended to clients by analysts at Betashares.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat AUD ETF (ASX: MOAT)

Another beginner-friendly option is the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat AUD ETF.

This ASX ETF invests in US stocks that have sustainable competitive advantages. These advantages can include brand strength, intellectual property, or cost leadership.

Its holdings change periodically but currently include shares such as United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), and Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII).

Instead of chasing fast-growing but speculative businesses, this fund focuses on shares that can defend their profits over the long term. This has proven to be a highly successful strategy for legendary investor Warren Buffett. And it is never a bad idea for beginners to follow in his footsteps.

The post 3 ASX ETFs for beginner investors to buy in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Warren Buffett has been a prolific investor for decades, soundly beating the markets on a consistent basis.

What's noteworthy is that he hasn't generally done it by betting on big tech or emerging growth stocks in high-risk industries. His strategy centres around safety and not about taking oversized risks.

There are two Buffett rules in particular that investors would do well to always keep in mind when buying stocks. Let's look at them both.

Never lose money

This rule is so important that even his second rule is to not forget the first one. Not losing money in the stock market can seem impossible, especially in the current bear market. Even Buffett's business, Berkshire Hathaway, has lost money on its investments in the past and has even underperformed the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) in some years.

The nature of the stock market is that there will always be some risk. The key takeaway from Buffett's rule is to not take unnecessary or excessive risks and that the desire to avoid losing money should guide investors to making more calculated, strategic investment decisions, as opposed to jumping onto the latest meme stock.

Stop digging

This leads to another great Buffett quote: "The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging."

In other words, if you've taken on too much stock risk and gotten yourself into a hole (e.g., your portfolio is deep in the red), the temptation may be to take on even greater risk and swing for a 10-bagger investment that gets you out of the hole. But by doing so, you could end up with even greater losses.

By minimizing losses to begin with, investors can avoid the temptation to take on excessive risks entirely. One industry where you can find many safer stocks is healthcare.

Healthcare stocks for long-term investors

Not all industries have performed poorly during the current downturn in the markets. One segment that has bucked the trend is healthcare.

Consider healthcare giant Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), a top-performing stock in 2022. Year to date, the stock is up an impressive 17%, while the S&P has declined by 21%.

Bristol-Myers is a top drugmaker that has solid fundamentals. Last year, the company had three products that generated more than $5 billion in revenue for the business: Revlimid, Eliquis, and Opdivo. And they all reported positive year-over-year growth of at least 6%.

The healthcare company has grown, in part, via acquisitions and in 2021 reported revenue of $46 billion -- more than double its $23 billion tally in 2018. It has also posted free cash flow of at least $13 billion for two consecutive years.

Another top healthcare stock that has performed reasonably well this year is Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Year to date, its shares are flat, but that would still satisfy Buffett's first and second investing rules by avoiding losses.

The popular drug manufacturer and medical device company recently reported encouraging earnings numbers.

Sales totaled $23.8 billion for its most recent quarter (ended in September) and rose 1.9% year over year. The business expects to generate operational sales growth, which excludes the impact of acquisitions/divestitures and translating foreign currency, of up to 7.2% this year.

These businesses are safe and are excellent examples of the types of companies to invest in if your priority is to avoid losing money.

Over the past decade, Bristol-Myers and Johnson & Johnson have generated total returns (which include dividends) of 190% and 213%, respectively. That's not far from the S&P 500 total returns of 223% over that time frame. And if the recent trends continue, the two healthcare stocks could continue to shrink that gap.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Two Warren Buffett rules you should never forget appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The 'Oracle of Omaha' has been making the most of the downturn, snapping up billions of dollars' worth of stock through Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) over the past few months.

Interestingly, some of his major buys have fallen into one sector. At the same time, the famous investor has been offloading holdings in another.

What sectors has Buffett been buying and selling?

This year has been off to a rough start for many market enthusiasts – but not for Buffett.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has slipped around 11% in 2022. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has tumbled nearly 15%.

But it's the Nasdaq Composite that's suffering most. It has plunged 24% this year.

Thankfully, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is outperforming the lot, sliding just 6% year to date.

The situation might look dire but it seems it may be Buffett's time to shine. And he's looking to the energy sector for new wins.

Buffett buys: Energy sector

A recent regulatory filing shows the multibillionaire investor has jumped on board Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: OXY) and quadrupled his stake in Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) in 2022.

The oil and gas producing companies have been outperforming lately. Their share prices have gained 118% and 45% respectively year to date. They also both pay dividends.

Similar stocks on the ASX include Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX: WPL).

As of its previous close, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) has gained 37% in 2022 and was trading with a 6% dividend yield.

Mixed: Financials stocks

Berkshire Hathaway also recently snapped up new positions in financial stocks Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) and Ally Financial Inc (NYSE: ALLY).

Though, the investment house has ditched its former major holding in bank Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE: WFC).

Buffett sells: Healthcare shares

It has also dumped many a healthcare stock.

Biopharmaceutical shares AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV) and Bristol-Myers Sqibb Co (NYSE: BMY) were shown the chopping block while Berkshire Hathaway's holding in Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ: RPRX) was also stripped back.

However, it's worth noting Buffett has steadily held other notable healthcare stocks such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Proctor & Gamble Co (NYSE: PG) over the last few months.

The post Warren Buffett's been bargain hunting following the stock market sell-off. Here's the sector he's been buying (and selling) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

And that brings us to today. Yesterday, Berkshire filed its 10F report for the quarter ending 31 March 2021. Although that's a while ago now (and an eternity in the investing world), it's still a great opportunity to get a look inside Buffett's head and see what he's been up to.

So let's dig in.

Buffett's buys

So according to reporting in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Berkshire did make some substantial moves over the March quarter. These were mostly selling though. His largest sells were in bank shares, particularly Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE: WFC), which the AFR notes Buffett has held for more than three decades now. At the height of Berkshire's Wells Fargo investment, the company owned more than 10% of the US$198 billion bank. But as of 31 march, Berkshire only owned ~675,000 shares, worth roughly US$32.34 million on the most recent pricing.

Berkshire also offloaded shares of another US bank in U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), as well as a smaller, but total, stake in Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF).

Another sector that Berkshire and Buffett seem less enamoured with than in the past is oil. In the quarter ending 31 December 2020, Berkshire has a US$4.1 billion position in the oil giant Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX). But Berkshire has been selling off this position as well. As of 31 March, Berkshire had just US$2.5 billion worth of Chevron stock left. Perhaps the recent bull run in oil prices has served its purpose for Buffett.

Other shares that Buffett and Berkshire trimmed over the quarter include AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE: BMY), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) and General Motors Company (NYSE: GM).

In their place, Berkshire has added to its stake in supermarket chain Kroger Co (NYSE: KR), almost doubling its investment over the quarter to 51 million shares (worth US$1.91 billion on today's prices). It has also topped up on communications giant Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), and services company Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE: MMC). It also initiated a position in insurance broker Aon PLC (NYSE: AON).

Berkshire's stakes in its largest holdings in Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) remain unchanged for the quarter.

The post Here are the shares that Warren Buffett has been buying (and selling) lately appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.