(April 2): Berkshire Hathaway Inc has hired banks for its first yen bond sale since November, triggering speculation about its investment plans in Japan.
The US insurer mandated Mizuho Securities Co and BofA Securities Inc for a potential benchmark yen bond sale that’s expected to emerge in the near future subject to market conditions, according to an email on Thursday from Mizuho. The planned debt issuance comes as Japan’s central bank looks set to raise interest rates further to try to tame lingering inflation.
Surging energy prices in the wake of the war in Iran have fuelled inflationary pressure and dragged down bond prices, and Berkshire’s debt securities are no exception. Spreads on 15-year yen bonds that Berkshire priced in November, the longest maturity notes in a multi-tranche JPY210.1 billion (US$1.3 billion or $1.7 billion) deal, have widened since their sale, Bloomberg-compiled data showed.
The swap market is signalling about a 70% chance of a Bank of Japan interest-rate hike on April 28, and certainty of a rate increase by the July policy board meeting.
The company, which saw Greg Abel take over reins from his legendary predecessor Warren Buffett earlier this year, has grown more ambitious about expanding in Asia’s second-biggest economy. It announced in March that it will invest in insurer Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. The US company’s yen bond sales are closely watched by investors on speculation proceeds may be used to increase its holdings in Japanese entities including in the biggest trading companies such as Mitsubishi Corp and Itochu Corp.
Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee
