Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Increases Stakes in Japan’s Trading Giants

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway announced Monday that it had increased its holdings in five of Japan’s largest trading houses: Itochu, Sumitomo, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, and Mitsui.

Buffett initially began investing in the five trading houses in July 2019. I Photo: Itochu

Regulatory filings confirmed that Berkshire’s stakes now range between 8.5% and 9.8%, Barron’s Daily journalist George Glover reported.

Buffett initially began investing in the five trading houses in July 2019. In a letter to shareholders last month, he hinted that Berkshire would likely continue adding to these positions.

His latest move comes as U.S. stocks face significant turbulence, with concerns mounting that President Donald Trump’s tariffs could fuel inflation and slow economic growth.

The market downturn has had an ironic effect: while U.S. tech stocks—particularly members of the Magnificent Seven such as Nvidia and Tesla—have plummeted, Berkshire Hathaway’s stock has surged 14% this year.

The shift toward safer assets has pushed Berkshire’s total market capitalization to approximately $1.1 trillion. Meanwhile, Japanese equities appear undervalued relative to their U.S. counterparts.

The S&P 500 is currently trading at 20 times projected earnings for the next 12 months, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 trades at a more modest 17 times earnings—suggesting a potential discount.

By expanding his bets in Japan, Buffett signals confidence in global opportunities, reinforcing the idea that investors may find value outside the U.S. stock market.