Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has lifted its stake in Mitsui & Co to above 10%, strengthening its position in Japan’s powerful trading houses and signaling continued confidence in the sector.
Market Snapshot
Mitsui: Berkshire stake now above 10%; shares jumped as much as 2.2%.
Peers: Mitsubishi, Itochu, Marubeni, and Sumitomo also gained in Tokyo trading.
Sector backdrop: Trading houses’ diversified businesses help weather volatile commodity cycles and boost shareholder returns.
Background
Buffett first revealed stakes in Japan’s top five trading houses (sogo shosha) in 2020.
The companies span industries from liquefied natural gas to salmon farming.
Berkshire originally capped holdings at under 10%, but firms later agreed to relax the ceiling.
Earlier this year, Buffett also raised his stake in Mitsubishi beyond 10%.
Analyst View
SBI Securities analyst Ryunosuke Shibata said Buffett’s latest move is a clear signal:
“The fact that the ‘god of investing’ is buying more is a tailwind for Japan’s trading house stocks.”
Key Takeaway
Buffett’s continued accumulation highlights his conviction in Japan’s diversified trading giants. The endorsement has already helped the sector outperform the broader Topix index, and his latest move could sustain investor momentum.
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