Japan's Mitsui: share buyback one option in 08/09

TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) - Mitsui & Co (8031.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Japan's second-biggest trading company, said on Friday it may buy back some of its own shares to boost shareholder returns in the year to March 2009. President Shoei Utsuda told a news conference that he considered a share buyback one option.

Mitsui said last week it expects to book 460 billion yen ($4.4 billion) in net profit in the year ending March 2009, up 12 percent, which would be a sixth consecutive record profit.