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☆ Warren Buffett pours more money into Japan’s stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) has added to its holdings in Japan’s five biggest trading houses, likely underpinning strong momentum propelling the nation’s stock market to multi-year highs. Berkshire said Monday its stakes in Itochu (ITOCF), Marubeni (MARUY), Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui & Co (MITSY), and Sumitomo now average more than 8.5%. “The tailwinds for Japanese equities continue to multiply,” said Charu Chanana, market strategist at broker Saxo Markets in Singapore. Known as “sogo shosha,” Japanese trading houses deal in a variety of materials, products and food, often serving as intermediaries, and provide logistical support. The trading firms’ regulatory filings of June 12 showed Berkshire holding 7.4% of Itochu’s stock, 8.3% of Marubeni and Mitsubishi’s stock, 8.1% of Mitsui’s stock and 8.2% of Sumitomo’s stock.

Persons: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Monday’s, ”, Charu Organizations: Berkshire, Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui & Co, Sumitomo, Nikkei, Saxo Markets, America Berkshire Locations: Singapore, Berkshire, United States

☆ Japanese companies team up for battery storage project to fuel clean energy expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 7 (Reuters) - Japan's Itochu Corp (8001.T) said on Wednesday it has jointly established a power storage company with Osaka Gas Co (9532.T) and Tokyo Century Corp (8439.T), as the country's expansion in renewable energy drives demand for storage capacity. Batteries are central to Japan becoming carbon neutral by 2050, as they are critical for storage of renewable energy to smoothen output fluctuations. The project will have capacity of 23 megawatt hours and output of 11 megawatt, for which Itochu would provide storage batteries and construction, Osaka Gas would trade the power and Tokyo Century would do business management. Japan is targeting over $24 billion in investments both from the public and private sectors to develop domestic battery production capacity of 150 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030, including for electric vehicles, and global production by Japanese companies of 600 GWh. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Itochu, Katya Golubkova, Rashmi Organizations: Itochu Corp, Osaka Gas Co, Tokyo Century Corp, Osaka Gas, Thomson Locations: Osaka prefecture, Japan, Osaka, Tokyo

☆ Japan stocks are on fire this year. Here are 3 reasons why the rally could have 'staying power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Since then, Japanese equities have rallied. Even so, Strategas Securities' Chris Verrone has remained optimistic on Japanese equities, saying this week that the rally is not yet overbought. Meanwhile, JPMorgan chief market strategist Marko Kolanovic said in a note, also on Tuesday, that the rally in Japan still has "staying power." For international investors, those remarks signaled that Japanese companies may be more transparent with shareholders in the future. Investors can also take a company-specific approach, according to Diamond Hill's Mohanraj, who favors Japanese companies that boast differentiated products.

☆ China's rising clout spotlighted at finance chief meetings before G7 summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is among the biggest markets for most G7 countries, particularly for export-reliant economies such as Japan and Germany. In a joint statement on Saturday, the G7 finance chiefs stressed the urgency of addressing debt vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income countries, mentioning Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Sri Lanka. "There were talks about coercion" at the G7 finance leaders' meeting, the Japanese finance ministry official said. The G7 summit will most likely have a special session on China to debate Beijing's "economic coercion" against other countries, according to a Reuters report. "No matter how the G7 want to fence in the Global South, it's not easy," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at the Itochu Economic Research Institute.

OMAHA, Nebraska, May 6 (Reuters) - Warren Buffet on Saturday said he is more comfortable with Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) deploying capital in Japan than Taiwan, reflecting the growing tensions between the United States and China. The billionaire investor contrasted Berkshire's recently increased investments in five Japanese trading houses with its recent U-turn on a multi-billion dollar investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, or TSMC (2330.TW). "It's a marvelous company," Buffett said at Berkshire’s annual meeting, referring to Taiwan Semiconductor. But "I would feel better about capital that we've got deployed in Japan than in Taiwan.... That's the reality." Tensions between the U.S. and China have simmered in recent months, with some investors worried that China might invade Taiwan.

☆ Why Warren Buffett is so keen on Japan's versions of Berkshire Hathaway
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Tim Hornyak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But Warren Buffett added a spark in April when he visited Japan to announce that Berkshire Hathaway boosted its investment in Japanese trading houses to 7.4%. Buffett said the five — Itochu Corp., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui, and Sumitomo Corp. — are comparable to Berkshire itself. Samurai roots for Buffett's Japanese stocks The five trading firms that Berkshire has invested in are the biggest of Japan's so-called sogo-shosha, or general trading companies. Today, Japan's trading companies derive most of their revenue from non-trade activities. Shosha: The Big Five Mitsubishi The largest of Japan's trading companies is Mitsubishi Corp. , set up in 1954.

☆ These 6 global stocks are 'Buffett-style' picks, according to Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway raised its stakes in five Japan stocks — a good sign for investors in Japan, according to Credit Suisse. "This, together with Berkshire Hathaway's recent issuance of JPY bonds, has put the spotlight on value and quality investment opportunities in Japan," Credit Suisse said in a April 14 note. In light of those developments, Credit Suisse analysts said in the note that they've screened for stocks in Japan that are "Buffett-style picks" — that is, they have characteristics typical of Buffett's holdings. Value: Stocks with earnings yield in the top 25% of stocks the bank screened. They should also have above-median dividend yield, as well as above-median five-year dividend growth and next 12-month dividend growth.

☆ Warren Buffett's trip to Tokyo is seen as a 'stamp of approval' for investing in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Berkshire Hathaway's stakes in all five trading houses is now 7.4%. Buffett's trip is a "stamp of approval" — especially for domestic investors in Japan, according to Monex Group's Jesper Koll. He emphasized Buffett's trip has the potential to boost confidence among Japanese investors as the nation continues to grapple with low consumption. "The real focus is confidence for Japanese investors, and that's where Warren Buffett's visit was very, very important," Koll said. The trading houses have helped grow the Japanese economy and contributed to the globalization of its business.

☆ Buffet breaks out of Japan’s value trap
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, April 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has upped its stake in iconic Japanese trading houses, according to an interview boss Warren Buffett gave the Nikkei newspaper on Tuesday. Worries that the nonagenarian was walking into Japan’s infamous “value trap” now look overwrought. The rise in global interest rates and the popping of the tech bubble have pushed funds back into the boring nuts and bolts companies Buffett loves. Given that the trading houses are themselves Berkshire-like investors, Buffett says he is open to doing deals with them, and investing more in Japan. The hedge funds and activist investors who have been banging their heads against Japan Inc might watch what Buffett does next.

☆ Premarket stocks: Main Street investors bet on comeback for regional banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Forget the banking crisis — Main Street’s retail investors have barreled into embattled bank stocks. At the same time, he said, institutional investors, the so-called “smart money,” have been trading out of volatile regional bank stocks. That could mean bad news for those who are betting they’ll see big returns on regional bank stocks. This is a risky move for retail investors, said Iachini, and a speculative play. We’re not seeing a meaningful recovery, at least yet, for regional bank stocks, he said.

☆ Buffett says he holds 7.4% stake in five Japanese trading houses, including Itochu, Nikkei reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, April 11 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Inc's (BRKa.N) Warren Buffett is considering additional investment in Japanese stocks and said he holds a 7.4% stake in each of five Japanese trading houses, including Itochu Corp (8001.T), the Nikkei reported on Tuesday. In an interview with the newspaper, Buffett also said he would visit Japanese trading houses and Tungaloy Corp offices during his stay in Japan this time. Berkshire Hathaway had more than a 6% stake in each of those five trading houses, according to regulatory filings made in November last year. read moreThe other trading houses are Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T), Mitsui & Co(8031.T), Sumitomo Corp(8053.T) and Marubeni (8002.T). Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has boosted its bets on 5 Japanese titans - plus it wants to raise its stakes more and join forces on big deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett has boosted his Japan bets and wants to buy more shares and partner on big deals. Berkshire Hathaway owns about 7.4% of Japan's five largest trading houses, Buffett told Nikkei. Berkshire originally spent about $6 billion to establish 5% stakes in each of the companies. The famed investor's conglomerate now owns about 7.4% of Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo, Buffett told the newspaper. "We're very proud of that," Buffett told Nikkei about the investments.

☆ Why Warren Buffett is investing in Japan and how to know if you should too
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett has grown even fonder of his favorite Japanese trading houses, hiking his already-large investments and teasing of more to come. Berkshire Hathaway raised its stakes in five Japanese trading houses — Mitsubishi Corp. , Mitsui & Co ., Itochu Corp. , Marubeni and Sumitomo — all to 7.4%. Buffett will appear live from Japan on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The five trading houses — roughly akin to a conglomerate structure, just like Berkshire— seem to check every box of Buffett's stock-picking criteria. In light of expectations for tighter policy, BlackRock , the world's largest asset manager, last month cut Japanese stocks to "underweight."

☆ Warren Buffett says the unusually quick sale of Berkshire Hathaway's TSMC stake was driven by geopolitical tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warren Buffett said geopolitical tensions were a factor behind Berkshire Hathaway's unusually quick sale of Taiwan Semiconductor. Berkshire Hathaway purchased $4.1 billion of TSMC stock in the third quarter of 2022, but sold nearly 90% of the position a few months later. Tensions between China and Taiwan have been building as US political figures visit the island in a show of solidarity. He told Nikkei that Taiwan Semiconductor is a well-managed company, but said that Berkshire Hathaway had better places to invest its money. They are really so much similar to Berkshire," Buffett told Nikkei.

☆ Japanese trading houses rise as Warren Buffett says he plans on buying more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in 2011. Shares of Japanese trading houses rose in Tuesday afternoon trade after Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway , said he plans to increase his holdings. In an interview with Nikkei, Buffett said he is considering additional investment in five major Japanese trading houses, adding that he was "very proud" of his existing investments in them. Shares of Mitsubishi Corp. rose 2.7% in Japan's afternoon trade, Mitsui & Co. gained 2.6%, Itochu Corp climbed 2.5% and Marubeni Corp. advanced 3.7%. Buffett told Nikkei that he is planning to meet with the companies later in the week "to really just have a discussion around their businesses and emphasize our support," according to the report.

☆ Factbox: Warren Buffett's investments in financial firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, pauses while playing bridge as part of the company annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska U.S. May 6, 2018. Here is history on Buffett's involvement with banks and current holdings in his investment portfolio. The investment gave Berkshire preferred stock that paid a 10% along with warrants to pay $5 billion for 43.5 million Goldman shares at $115 each. Berkshire has financial services investments in other countries. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan's factory output posts biggest fall in 8 months on weak autos, chips sectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In contrast, retail sales posted their fastest growth in nearly two years, separate data showed, highlighting the divergent paths between soft manufacturing and robust service-sector activity. Factory output fell 4.6% in January from a month earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis, government data showed on Tuesday. Separate data showed Japanese retail sales rose 6.3% in January from a year earlier, beating a median market forecast for a 4.0% gain and posting an eleventh consecutive month of expansion. Despite the production cuts, retail sales of autos rose 19.3% year-on-year, suggesting strong pent-up demand among domestic consumers caused by delivery delays. Compared with the previous month, retail sales expanded 1.9% in January, following a 1.1% rise in December, the data showed.

After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants. The United States was long an importer of LNG, but natural gas discoveries and production from the shale revolution flipped the country into an LNG exporter in 2016. U.S. LNG exports hit 10.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2022, making the country the second biggest LNG exporter behind Australia. But their production volumes will allow the United States to remain ahead of output from Australia and Qatar. The seven U.S. export plants already in service, including Freeport LNG, can turn about 13.8 billion cubic feet of gas into LNG each day.

☆ Itochu to supply renewable energy to Meta in U.S., Amazon in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japanese trading house Itochu Corp (8001.T) has agreed to supply wind-generated power to Meta Platforms (META.O) in the United States and solar energy to Amazon (AMZN.O) in Japan, it said on Wednesday. Itochu would supply wind-generated power to Meta from the Texas-based Prairie Switch Wind project, set to have capacity of 160 megawatts when launched towards the end of this year and where Itochu agreed to invest. Separately, Itochu agreed with Amazon to develop 700 solar power sites to supply the e-commerce giant with renewable power in Japan by next year, Itochu said in a statement. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Drop in China-bound Japanese exports adds to fears of global downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, fell 6.2% year-on-year in value and were down by 24% in terms of volume in December. In the worst case, it may deal a blow to Japanese exports, which could in turn hit Japan's factory output and capital expenditure," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at ITOCHU Research Institute. The trade data also highlighted the challenge of a resource-deficient country that relies heavily on imports of commodity and energy. The rises in exports and imports were largely in line with forecasts by economists in a Reuters poll. As a result, December's trade deficit came to 1.45 trillion yen ($11.29 billion), extending the run of deficits to 17 months.

☆ Slumping China-bound Japanese exports raise fears of global downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Exports to largest trading partner China fell 6.2% year-on-year in value and were down 24% in volume terms in December. Exports to the United States in December rose 16.9% from a year ago, led by cars, mining equipment and aero-engine parts. In the worst case, it may deal a blow to Japanese exports, which could in turn hit Japan's factory output and capital expenditure," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at ITOCHU Research Institute. "Trade deficits will stay at high levels even as import growth slows with oil prices falling and weak yen running its course. That's because exports remain weak due to lacklustre global demand," said Taro Saito, executive research fellow at NLI Research Institute.

☆ Warren Buffett's energy bets in Japanese companies are turning out to be huge winners, with some up 100% since his initial investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett's investments in five Japanese companies are emerging as winners in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. A Bloomberg analysis points out that share prices in Mitsubishi and Mitsui have respectively climbed 100% and 130% since Buffett's initial investments in 2020. Buffett is the third-largest shareholder in Mitsui & Co. and a leading investor in Mitsubishi Corp., Itochu Corp., Sumitomo Corp., and Marubeni Corp. Meanwhile, share prices of Mitsubishi and Mitsui – the two most profitable sogo shosha – have climbed 100% and 130%, respectively, since Buffett's initial investment in 2020. Buffett's investment company, Berkshire Hathaway, made its first disclosure of the investment in the sogo shosha in August 2020, with 5% stakes in each then worth a total of $6 billion, said Bloomberg.

☆ Japanese firms sign multi-year agreements to buy LNG from Oman, U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Yuka Obayashi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Global LNG supply has been tight since Russia invaded Ukraine and cut gas supply flows to Europe, leading European nations to import record amounts of LNG cargoes, straining global supplies and elevating prices. Mitsui and Itochu confirmed signing basic agreements with Oman LNG, but declined to give details. Other Japanese companies were also in talks with Oman LNG about term contracts, a government official told Reuters without naming the firms. If successful, they could take Japan's LNG imports from Oman above 3 million tonnes a year, he added. The agreements with Oman LNG were signed during a visit to Oman by Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.

☆ Japan's Mitsui, Itochu and JERA to sign new long-term contracts to buy LNG from Oman -NHK
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan's trading houses Mitsui & Co (8031.T), Itochu Corp (8001.T) and Japan's biggest power generator JERA are expected to sign new long-term contracts to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Oman, NHK said on Tuesday. The Japanese companies are expected to buy a total of about 2 million tonnes of LNG, starting from 2025, through around 10-year contracts, public broadcaster NHK said. The Japanese companies will likely make agree on the contracts on Tuesday and Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is currently visiting the Middle East, will attend the signing ceremony, NHK said. Japan imported 1.9 million tonnes of LNG in 2021, accounting for 2.6% of Japan's total imports. Other Japanese companies are also in negotiations with Oman to buy LNG, NHK said.

☆ Bank of Japan makes surprise policy tweak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

ATUSHI TAKEDA, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ITOCHU ECONOMIC RESEARCH, TOKYO:"Today's move reflects the BOJ's determination not to alter its yield cure control policy. CAROL KONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY:"I think the move was certainly unexpected, to say the least. MOH SIONG SIM, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, BANK OF SINGAPORE:"They've widened the band, and I guess that came earlier than expected. CHRISTOPHER WONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, OCBC, SINGAPORE:"The timing of the policy tweak is a surprise, though we have been expecting the move to come in 2Q 2023. "The tweak may seem modest but is significant for a central bank that has held dovish for a long time.

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