五大商社株の保有比率９％に　経営手法評価―米バフェット氏

　【ニューヨーク時事】米著名投資家ウォーレン・バフェット氏率いる投資会社バークシャー・ハサウェイが持つ日本の五大商社の株式について、同社の保有比率が約９％に達したことが２４日、分かった。昨年６月に開示した際、保有比率は７～８％台だった。
　バフェット氏が２４日に株主へ宛てた書簡で明らかにした。エネルギーから食品まで幅広い事業を手掛ける五大商社の経営手法に関しては「高度に多角化されており、バークシャーと幾分似ている」と改めて評価した。（2024/02/25-17:07）

U.S. investment firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc., led by renowned investor Warren Buffett, has raised each of its stakes in five major Japanese trading houses to about 9 pct, it was learned on Saturday.
   This was revealed in Buffett's annual letter to shareholders released on the day.
   Buffett said each of the five Japanese companies--Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corp., Marubeni Corp. and Itochu Corp.--"operates in a highly-diversified manner somewhat similar to the way Berkshire itself is run."
   According to a report submitted by a Berkshire subsidiary to the Japanese Finance Ministry's Kanto Local Finance Bureau in June last year, Berkshire's stakes in Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Marubeni were above 8 pct and below 9 pct, and its stake in Itochu was above 7 pct and below 8 pct.
   Berkshire has indicated its intention to raise its stakes in the Japanese companies to as much as 9.9 pct, depending on their stock prices.