Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. plans to sell benchmark bonds in four parts to pay down debt due next month.
Berkshire, which its 82-year-old chairman built into a $242 billion company with takeovers and stock picks, plans to issue three-, five-, 10- and 30-year debt as soon as Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the offering.
Proceeds from the deal will repay $1.2 billion of floating-rate notes and $1.4 billion of 2.125 percent fixed-rate securities, both due Feb. 11, said the person, who asked not to be identified because terms aren’t set.
Berkshire, which has $5.6 billion of debentures maturing this year, last issued new bonds in May, selling $1.6 billion of debt in three parts with a record low five-year coupon. Its 1.6 percent securities due in May 2017, which were increased to $1.35 billion from the initial $750 million, traded at 102.7 cents on the dollar to yield 0.95 percent Jan. 25, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
The new debt may be rated Aa2 by Moody’s Investors Service, the person said. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. are managing the sale for the Omaha, Nebraska-based company. Benchmark sales are typically at least $500 million.
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