SoftBank dethrones Toyota as Japan's most valuable company
SoftBank Group has overtaken Toyota in market capitalisation, becoming Japan's most valuable company on the back of artificial-intelligence investments. The Nikkei 225 index also broke through 67,000 points to a fresh record. SoftBank's stakes in OpenAI and Arm Holdings have driven the historic shift.
Nikkei Asia · JADA NAGUMOJapan's technology investment group SoftBank has overtaken Toyota Motor in market value to become the country's most valuable listed company. According to Nikkei Asia, SoftBank's market capitalisation reached 33.8 trillion yen (around 220 billion dollars), while Toyota stood at 33.1 trillion yen. The Nikkei 225 also broke through 67,000 points at Monday's open, setting a fresh record.
The rally is driven by SoftBank's large bets on artificial intelligence. The company is among the largest backers of OpenAI, which now reports annual revenue of roughly 13 billion dollars, and its 88 percent stake in Arm Holdings has reached an all-time high. SoftBank investor-relations head Navneet Govil told Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Marvin Lo that 'the Vision Fund portfolio now carries an active AI revenue core'.
On the Toyota side, margin pressure in autos continues and competition from Chinese electric-vehicle makers has weighed on the balance sheet. Mitsubishi UFJ analyst Hiroshi Hamada said the shift 'reflects Japan's transition from a traditional industrial economy toward a digital and AI-led structure'. SoftBank plans a roughly five-billion-dollar secondary sale of Arm shares within the next year. This article is not investment advice.
More from Asia
Japan's Takaichi to decide this month on cutting food tax to 1%
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing to make a final decision this month on cutting the consumption tax on food to 1%, according to Nikkei Asia. The move could mark a meaningful turning point for household budgets and inflation policy.
Japan to bolster sea lane defence with Southeast Asia info-sharing plan
Japan will set up a broad maritime information-sharing framework with Southeast Asian countries, led by the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. With the Hormuz crisis and South China Sea tensions in the background, Tokyo is moving to protect critical trade lanes.
SK Hynix to double wafer capacity within five years to meet AI demand
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix plans to double its wafer capacity over the next five years to keep pace with AI-driven demand, according to Nikkei Asia. The plan signals a meaningful capacity build in the global memory supply chain.