Qatar trims Sainsbury’s holding, ending long run as top shareholder

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is set to reduce its stake in J Sainsbury, ending almost twenty years as the UK retailer’s largest shareholder, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) plans to sell shares at 317.6 pence each in a secondary offering, equivalent to $4.20 per share, with JPMorgan acting as the sole bookrunner, Reuters reported. Sainsbury’s shares have risen 23 per cent so far this year and closed at 326 pence on Tuesday.

The planned sale would see the fund divest stock worth around £265.5 million. Based on LSE data, QIA’s stake will fall to 6.82 per cent from the current 10.48 per cent, pushing it down from first to fourth place among the company’s major shareholders.

QIA first invested in Sainsbury’s in 2007. Its holding peaked at 25 per cent that year, when it considered but later abandoned a potential takeover bid. The fund began reducing its position in 2021 and completed a further sell-down in October last year, disposing of around 5 per cent of the company in a deal worth nearly $400 million, Reuters said.

Sainsbury’s has strengthened its position in the UK grocery market with a share of 15.3 per cent, near its highest level in a decade. The group has said it expects to deliver retail underlying operating profit of more than £1 billion for the year to March 2026.

As of Tuesday’s (2 December 2025) close, Sainsbury’s market capitalisation stood at £7.44 billion.