Deals
Southwest Airlines Jumps After Unconfirmed Talk of a Buffett Takeover
- Social media discussion rekindles longstanding M&A speculation
- Berkshire bought stakes in four biggest U.S. carriers in 2016
Southwest Airlines Co. planes stand on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Southwest Airlines Co. abruptly jumped the most in a month amid speculation on social media that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was considering a takeover bid. The carrier declined to comment.
The deal talk linking Berkshire and Southwest appeared on Twitter with a mention by StockTradersNET, which called the speculation “unconfirmed.” Berkshire, which bought stakes in the four largest U.S. airlines in 2016, is the second-biggest shareholder in Southwest, with a 9.9 percent holding.