Buffett Eyeing More Stakes in 5 Major Japanese Traders

Jiji Press

12:44 JST, February 23, 2025

NEW YORK (Jiji Press) — Berkshire Hathaway Inc., an investment company led by prominent U.S. investor Warren Buffett, is considering purchasing more shares in Japan’s five major trading houses, it was learned Saturday.

Buffett highly rates the traders’ strategies of operating a wide range of businesses, including food and energy.

Berkshire’s equity stakes in the five companies—Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co., Itochu Corp., Sumitomo Corp. and Marubeni Corp.—may each exceed the initially set ceiling of 9.9%.

“The five companies agreed to moderately relax the ceiling,” Buffett said in a letter to Berkshire shareholders. “Over time, you will likely see Berkshire’s ownership of all five increase somewhat,” the letter said.

After making its first investments in Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, Sumitomo and Marubeni in 2019, Berkshire increased its ownership in the five in stages.

Berkshire said in February 2024 that its stakes in the Japanese companies each stood at about 9%. As of the end of 2024, the investment firm held Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, Sumitomo and Marubeni shares worth a total of $23.5 billion, or about ¥3.5 trillion , in market value.

The five traders’ share prices have surged in recent years, apparently on the back of Buffett’s investments in the companies.