TOKYO, May 2 (Reuters) - Japanese trading house Itochu ( ITOCF )

reported a record high net profit of 880.3 billion yen

($6 billion) for the year ended March, marking a 10% increase

from the previous year, bolstered by its textile, food, and

FamilyMart convenience store units.

A LSEG poll of analysts had expected Itochu ( ITOCF ) to post 887

billion yen in net profit. The company has forecast profit for

the year ending next March at 900 billion yen, maintaining a

total shareholder payout ratio of 50%, it said.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK/A ), a large

minority shareholder in Itochu ( ITOCF ), has been expanding its stake in

the company as well as in other Japanese trading houses

including Marubeni ( MARUF ) and Sumitomo Corp. ( SSUMF )

($1 = 145.2400 yen)