Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has pared its stake in BYD to less than 5%, further unwinding its long-term bet on China’s largest electric-vehicle maker.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based investment firm recently lowered its stake in BYD to 4.94% from 5.06%, selling 1.4 million H shares at an average of 246.96 Hong Kong dollars (US$31.64) each, according to an exchange filing Monday. Dropping below the 5% threshold means that Berkshire will no longer be required to disclose its sales of BYD stock on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

BYD shares were recently 3.9% lower in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen on Tuesday. The company’s Hong Kong-listed shares have risen about 10% this year, while its China-listed shares have gained nearly 30%.Analysts said the stake sale wasn’t surprising given that Berkshire has been regularly trimming its stake in BYD since August 2022, shortly after shares hit a record high and when the Buffett company’s shareholding exceeded 20%. At its peak in 2008, Berkshire held a nearly 40% stake.“It’s a profitable investment, but eventually Berkshire will sell all of its