Southwest jumps after unconfirmed talk of a Buffett takeover

Southwest abruptly jumped the most in a month amid speculation on social media that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway 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 US airlines in 2016, is the second-biggest shareholder in Southwest, with a 9.9% holding. “There has been speculation circulating that Warren Buffett might be looking to acquire an airline for some time and that Southwest might be a good fit,” the company said Thursday. “As a policy, we do not comment on speculation, but appreciate Berkshire’s continued support of Southwest Airlines.” Berkshire didn’t respond to a message left with Buffett’s assistant. Andrew Davis, an analyst at T. Rowe Price, which holds Southwest shares, gave little credence to the deal speculation. But an eventual airline acquisition by Berkshire can’t be ruled out, he said. <br/>