Due to his success -- both personally and through his company, Berkshire Hathaway -- Warren Buffett draws a lot of attention when he speaks and makes investing moves. With Buffett's net worth of over $150 billion and Berkshire Hathaway's market cap of over $1 trillion (as of April 7), it's easy to see why.
People often look to Berkshire Hathaway's stock portfolio to get inspiration for investments they may want to consider, especially during turbulent market times like we're witnessing now. Buffett is known for investing in high-quality businesses, which tend to hold up better during economic down periods.
If you have $1,000 available to invest right now (meaning you have an emergency fund saved), the following two stocks are great options. One is a Buffett staple that he's owned for decades, and the other is a growth stock that has been beaten down since the announcement of President Trump's new tariff plans.
1. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola(NYSE: KO) has been one of Berkshire Hathaway's longest holdings and is currently 9.5% of its stock portfolio. Coca-Cola has two things that Buffett loves: an attractive dividend and an economic/brand moat that can't be replicated by its competitors.
Let's start with the dividend because that's why most investors are attracted to Coca-Cola's stock. Its quarterly dividend is $0.51, with an average yield of around 2.9% in the past 12 months. That's more than double the S&P 500 average over that same time.
More impressive than its current dividend is Coca-Cola increasing its annual dividend for 63 consecutive years, earning it the title of a Dividend King. Its annual dividend has doubled in the past 13 years, outpacing many other Dividend Kings.
If you're looking for a business that can survive virtually any economic condition thrown its way, Coca-Cola is it. Its products sell regardless of the economy, and it has pricing power, making it one of the more recession-resistant companies you can find.
That doesn't mean Coca-Cola won't hit slumps or that its stock won't sometimes underperform, but it's an investment you can bet on returning value over the long term.
One thing that separates Coca-Cola from its competitors is its vast distribution network. Coca-Cola products are sold in over 200 countries, and its focus on just beverages (unlike PepsiCo, which also sells snacks and other foods) allows it to operate more efficiently. That's partly why PepsiCo's revenue is more than double that of Coca-Cola's, but Coca-Cola's net income far exceeds that of PepsiCo.
Buffett once said of Berkshire Hathaway, "Our favorite holding period is forever," and Coca-Cola is a stock I'd feel comfortable holding onto for the long haul.
2. Amazon
Amazon's(NASDAQ: AMZN) stock hasn't fared well so far in 2025, losing around a quarter of its value as of April 7. The stock was already lagging, but President Trump's new tariff plan added insult to injury and sent the stock further down.
With the new tariff plan increasing tariffs on imports from China, it's understandable that investors are worried about how that will affect Amazon's business, with many of its third-party sellers getting their products from there.
This will likely lead to higher prices as sellers face higher costs. However, this shouldn't be a long-term issue that warrants investors giving up on the stock. E-commerce is Amazon's main revenue driver, but its growth driver and profit machine is its cloud platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The tariffs are a concern for Amazon's e-commerce business, but AWS won't be as affected, considering that it delivers a digital service and doesn't deal with physical products. Amazon could face higher costs with products it needs for its data centers that are important to AWS, but ideally, it's small enough that Amazon eats the extra costs instead of passing the buck on to its customers.
Amazon has proved it's a great long-term option, even when it experiences sharp short-term drops. This isn't the first time its stock has plunged like this, and if you're invested in it long enough, it probably won't be the last.
AMZN data by YCharts. The grey area indicates a recession period.
When the dust settles from the current period, Amazon's stock will likely look like a bargain.
Should you invest $1,000 in Coca-Cola right now?
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Stefon Walters has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
