The logo of the American multinational investment group Berkshire Hathaway is displayed on a smartphone screen.
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Berkshire Hathaway Its wholly owned subsidiary National Indemnity Company has increased its stake in five Japanese trading houses to an average of more than 8.5 percent, it said on Monday.
The companies involved are ITOCHU, Marubeni, mitsubishi, Mitsui and SumitomoThe combined value of these interests exceeds Berkshire’s stock holdings in any country outside the United States, the company said.
Berkshire Hathaway has said it intends to hold its investments in Japan for the long term, with Chief Executive Warren Buffett promising that the firm will only buy 9.9 percent of any of the five companies.
Buffett visited Japan in April, announcing that Berkshire Hathaway would increase its investment in Japanese trading houses to 7.4 percent, five businesses he identified as comparable to his Omaha-based conglomerate. entity.
The five firms are the largest of what Japan calls sogo-shosha, or general trading houses, focused on diversified long-term investments that prioritize value and cash flow. They have traditionally been at the heart of Japan’s energy, minerals and food imports, as well as finished exports.
Berkshire Hathaway has no other investments in Japan.