SoftBank shares jump over 11% as investors crowd into AI trade
SoftBank Group shares jumped more than 11% on Friday for a second straight session, lifting the stock above 19,500 yen in Tokyo. The group's stake in OpenAI and majority holding in Arm have made it a primary channel for the global AI rally. It once again ranks among the Nikkei 225's biggest contributors.
SoftBank Group closed the Friday session in Tokyo up 11.4% at 19,560 yen. The two-day gain reached 24% and lifted the market capitalisation above $220 billion. The stock has nearly doubled over the past three months, making it the top performer in the Nikkei 225.
The move follows an Information report that OpenAI's annual revenue has reached $13 billion, while SoftBank's 88% stake in Arm Holdings hit a fresh record value. Analysts at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley now describe SoftBank as a 'pure AI theme' for international investors.
Even so, analysts note the share price already implies a roughly $700 billion valuation for a future OpenAI public listing. Masayoshi Son's Vision Fund posted around $28 billion in profit last quarter, with the balance sheet boosted by positions in Coupang, ByteDance and Stripe.
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