Berkshire CEO: Plans to hold long-term stakes in Japan's five major trading companies, AI data centers bring energy opportunities

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel stated in an interview with CNBC that the company plans to hold its stakes in Japan's five major trading companies as a long-term investment, expecting to hold them for decades. Currently, Berkshire holds over 10% of shares in each of the five major trading companies and is continuously exploring other cooperation opportunities in Japan and overseas with these enterprises. Abel also mentioned that despite the 10-year Japanese government bond yield rising to about 3%, the five major trading companies do not view the rise in interest rates as a fundamental challenge, and Berkshire still plans to issue yen bonds as needed.

Regarding AI investments, Abel stated that the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the practical applications of AI by Berkshire's subsidiaries are among the important reasons for the company's optimism about Alphabet. On the construction of AI data centers, he believes that energy supply and related infrastructure development remain major constraints, which also presents significant opportunities for Berkshire and Berkshire Energy. Abel pointed out that the company is willing to provide energy services for large tech companies' data centers, but on the condition that it does not harm the interests of other customers and should bring net benefits to the local community.

In terms of the U.S. housing market, Abel stated that Berkshire takes a long-term view of the housing industry, believing that the "American Dream" will continue, but there will not be a rapid recovery in the short term, and the industry may still face fluctuations for some time. Regarding the overall economy, he noted that most of Berkshire's large businesses performed strongly as of the second quarter, with demand still robust, but American consumers are under significant pressure and need to be more cautious in managing their income; overall, the economic fundamentals that Berkshire currently sees remain "very strong."