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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Regulators looking at a Heinz derivatives deal in London -NY Times, (NYSE: BRK-A), (NYSE: BRK-B), (NYSE: GS)

U.S. authorities investigating possible insider trading in ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co are studying a derivatives bet that was routed through London, the New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the matter. Industry watchdogs, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI, are investigating unusual trading activity a day before Berkshire Hathaway and Brazil's 3G Capital agreed to purchase Heinz for $23 billion in cash earlier this month.The SEC has obtained an emergency order to freeze assets in a Goldman Sachs Group Inc Swiss account linked to suspicious trades in call options.The SEC is now examining a product known as a contract-for-difference, a derivative that allows investors to trade on stock price changes without owning the shares, the New York Times said. Such contracts are not regulated in the United States but are popular in Britain, it said.The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Wall Street's self-regulator, has also recently referred suspicious stock trades to the SEC, the paper quoted one person as saying.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. Shares of BRK-A traded higher by 2.42% or $3596.0/share to $151916.00. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $117301.00 and as high as $153160.00. On average, 73998 shares of BRK-A exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 479.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. Shares of BRK-B traded higher by 2.52% or $2.49/share to $101.21. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $78.18 and as high as $102.00. On average, 4578740 shares of BRK-B exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 4319704.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Goldman Sachs) is a global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Shares of GS traded higher by 2.47% or $3.65/share to $151.65. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $90.43 and as high as $159.00. On average, 4481850 shares of GS exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 4696452.



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