Berkshire May Boost BNSF Stake to 25%

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s investment company, Berkshire Hathaway, may boost its freight rail line Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. to 25%, the Associated Press reported.

Berkshire last week had boosted its stake to 15% after buying nearly 14 million shares of BNSF’s stock, AP said.

BNSF said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that Berkshire notified the railroad that it plans to invest nearly $598 million in the railroad’s stock on top of the 52 million shares it already owns, AP reported.

In another SEC filing late Tuesday, Berkshire revealed it options to buy about 7.5 million more shares, AP said. BNSF is the second-largest U.S. freight railroad by revenue behind Union Pacific Corp.

Berkshire Hathaway’s transportation interests include XTRA Corp., which leases truck trailers and shipping containers.