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☆ Masayoshi Son made $72 billion betting on Jack Ma's Alibaba. Now he wants to do it again with AI.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewMasayoshi Son owes much of his success to an incredibly prescient dot-com era bet on Alibaba. The SoftBank chief first invested $20 million in Jack Ma's ecommerce upstart in 2000, when it was just a year old. That faith was handsomely rewarded, with SoftBank realizing an incredible $72 billion gain on its investments in Alibaba over the course of 23 years. Arm and the Vision Funds collectively represent 70% of SoftBank’s net asset value, a key performance indicator that reflects the total value of its holdings. Arm, SoftBank's latest golden child, is on course to deliver, but there is still much work to be done to get the Vision Funds back on track.

Persons: —, Jack Ma's ecommerce, Ma, Son, Masayoshi Son's, Jack Ma, Alibaba, ChatGPT, Yoshimitsu Goto, SoftBank, Uber, Sam Altman, he'll Organizations: Service, Business, Future Publishing, Vision, Apple, Google, Nvidia, Samsung, Nasdaq, Funds Locations: Alibaba, China, British, London

☆ SoftBank’s optimistic talk falls on deaf ears
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SoftBank Group Corp Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during their joint news conference with Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda (not pictured) in Tokyo, Japan October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - All credit to SoftBank’s (9984.T) finance chief for trying to accentuate the positive. The weakening currency lopped off 183 billion yen. Taking such a big loss when analysts, per S&P Capital IQ, expected a $1.2 billion profit, though, was. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Akio Toyoda, Issei Kato, Yoshimitsu Goto, SoftBank, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: SoftBank Group, Toyota Motor Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, X, SEC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Arm’s

☆ Analysis: Arm's stellar listing sets the stage for more SoftBank acquisitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A smartphone with a displayed Arm Ltd logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. The tech investment behemoth raised nearly $5 billion from Arm's offering while retaining 90.6% of the firm. Known for debt-fuelled acquisition sprees, SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son flagged in June that the company was shifting back into "offence mode" as he highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence. That's after a year of "defence mode" when tech valuations crashed amid higher interest rates and global banking jitters. Few companies in SoftBank's investment portfolio have demonstrated commercial utility in AI, analysts said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, behemoth, Masayoshi, Yoshimitsu Goto, SoftBank, SemiAnalysis, Kyle Stanford, There's, Amir Anvarzadeh, PitchBook's Stanford, Anton Bridge, Miyoung Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Arm Holdings, SoftBank, HK, Vision, Nvidia, Asymmetric Advisors, Thomson Locations: British

☆ Arm's stellar listing sets the stage for more SoftBank acquisitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SoftBank CFO Yoshimitsu Goto and Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas pose for a photo at the Nasdaq MarketSite on September 14, 2023 in New York City. Shares of chip design company Arm Holdings started trading on the Nasdaq Thursday morning in a long-anticipated IPO at a share price of $56.10, valuing the company at $59.9 billion. Arm Holdings sold around 95.5 million shares on the Nasdaq. Softbank, which took the company private in 2016, will control around 90% of Arm's shares outstanding. At a $54 billion valuation, Arm's price-to-earnings multiple would be about 104 based on the most recent fiscal year profit.

Persons: Yoshimitsu Goto, Rene Haas, Arm, Masayoshi Son Organizations: Arm, Nasdaq, Arm Holdings, Apple, Google, Samsung, CNBC Locations: New York City, British

☆ What ARM's expected debut means for the IPO market and SoftBank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Its debut will be a big deal for an IPO market that's been in the doldrums since 2022, but the company's listing has big implications for SoftBank as well. SoftBank agreed to acquire Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, which at the time was the biggest-ever purchase of a European technology company. The unit also swung to a 9.5 billion yen loss, having made a profit of 29.8 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. SoftBank said its Vision Fund booked an investment gain of 159.8 billion yen, its first gain in five consecutive quarters. In July, the company led a $65 million investment in U.K. insurance technology company Tractable.

Persons: Son, Tomohiro Ohsumi, SoftBank, It's, Rene Haas, Haas, Nvidia SoftBank, Arm, Grace Hopper, Didi, Uber, Yoshimitsu Goto, Leswing Organizations: SoftBank Group Corp, ARM Holdings, Bloomberg, Getty, Apple, reining, Acorn Computers, Acorn, Machines, VLSI Technology, CNBC, ARM, Nvidia, Vision, Investors, AMD, Vision Fund Locations: Tokyo, Cambridge, England, Switzerland, European, Europe, U.S, London, New York

☆ SoftBank’s Arm-twisting fails to convince
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shareholders already had good reason to take that with a pinch of salt. The Japanese conglomerate’s 478 billion yen ($3.3 billion) net loss, which missed analysts’ estimates, included an increase in the carrying value of chip designer Arm, even though revenue dipped. That allowed the company’s Vision Fund to post a $1.1 billion profit, its first in six quarters. But investors in the Japanese group will be waiting a long time for SoftBank’s new campaign to pay off. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Yoshimitsu Goto, ’, Navneet, Arm’s, Antony Currie, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, SoftBank, Fund, Vision Fund, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson

☆ SoftBank posts surprise loss even as Vision Fund back in black after five quarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

SoftBank reported a surprise loss in the first quarter covering April-June, despite an investment gain from its massive tech-focused Vision Fund. Here's how the company did:The SoftBank group reported a net loss attributable to owners of the parent of 477.6 billion yen ($3.3 billion). The tech conglomerate, which engages in venture capital investing through its Vision Fund, has had its fair share of ups and downs. The brainchild of founder Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's Vision Fund comprises Vision Fund 1 and Vision Fund 2 and invests in high growth stocks. Misra was instrumental in the early days of the Vision Fund, which was launched in 2017.

Persons: SoftBank, GoTo, Masayoshi Son, Son, Yoshimitsu Goto, Rajeev Misra, Misra, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, Sheila Chang Organizations: Vision Fund, Vision, Silicon, Nvidia Locations: Alibaba, Indonesian, U.S

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group (9984.T) CEO Masayoshi Son said on Wednesday that his tech investing conglomerate plans to shift its stance to "offence mode" amid excitement over advances in artificial intelligence. "The time has come to shift to offence mode," Son told shareholders at the group's annual general meeting. SoftBank reported a net loss of 970 billion yen ($6.85 billion) for the year ended March 31, cushioning losses at the Vision Fund unit by selling down its stake in Alibaba (9988.HK). SoftBank's liquid assets, which include cash, cash equivalents and an undrawn commitment line, rose to 5.1 trillion yen at March-end compared to 2.9 trillion yen a year earlier. SoftBank aims to list Arm on Nasdaq later this year and is seeking to raise between $8 billion and $10 billion, Reuters has reported.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Son, SoftBank, Yoshimitsu Goto, ChatGPT, Astro, Tezuka Osamu, Sam Nussey, Anton, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sonali Paul Organizations: SoftBank, Vision Fund, Vision, HK, Astro Boy, Nasdaq, Reuters, Intel, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Alibaba

☆ SoftBank shares swept up in AI chip frenzy ahead of Arm IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) shares jumped 5% in early Friday trade as the technology investor - which is preparing an initial public offering of chip designer Arm - was caught up in a frenzy for semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks. The Japanese conglomerate, which has been hit by the slumping value of its tech portfolio, has seen its shares gain 17% since last week's close. On Friday, SoftBank passed the psychological level of 6,000 yen for the first time since February. "We expressed a view that SBG stock will rally ahead of the ARM IPO later in the year... "He feels that 'finally my time has come'," SoftBank Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto told reporters at an earnings briefing last month.

Persons: SoftBank, Jefferies, Atul Goyal, Masayoshi Son, Yoshimitsu Goto, Sam Nussey, Jacqueline Wong, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SoftBank Group Corp, U.S, Nvidia Corp, Semiconductor, ARM, Advantest Corp, Tokyo Electron, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Philadelphia

☆ SoftBank shares drop after its Vision Fund tech investment unit posts a $32 billion record loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article 9984.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSoftBank's Vision Fund posted a record loss in the year ended Mar. The flagship tech investment unit has been hit by the falling prices of tech stocks. Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesShares of Japanese tech investor SoftBank fell on Friday after the company reported a record loss at its Vision Fund tech investment unit. The company said on Thursday that its Vision Fund segment lost a record 4.3 trillion Japanese yen ($32 billion) for its fiscal year ending Mar. The $100 billion Vision Fund was launched in 2017 under the stewardship of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and shook up the tech investing world.

☆ SoftBank posts record $32 billion loss at its Vision Fund tech investment arm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Japanese giant's Vision Fund segment posted a 4.3 trillion Japanese yen ($32 billion) loss for its fiscal year ending Mar. 31 versus a 2.55 trillion yen loss in the same period a year before. SoftBank posted an overall loss on investments at its Vision Funds of 5.28 trillion Japanese yen versus 3.43 trillion yen a year before. The brainchild of founder Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's Vision Fund comprises Vision Fund 1 and Vision Fund 2 and invests in high growth stocks, which have faced headwinds from rising interest rates globally causing investors to sell out of riskier equities such as tech. Misra was instrumental in the early days of the Vision Fund, which was launched in 2017.

☆ Shares of Japan's Nintendo, SoftBank and Sharp tumble after earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Nintendo dropped 6% after the maker of the Switch video game console reported lower sales and profit and cut its full-year outlook. Nintendo shares were on track for their biggest one-day loss since November. SoftBank shares fell 6.2% after it reported a quarterly loss, hit by its massive Vision Fund investment unit, which fell into the red for the fourth straight quarter. Nintendo is struggling with softer sales for the ageing Switch, while SoftBank has seen valuations weaken for its sprawling tech portfolio. "The Nintendo Switch is now a six-year-old console and demand is now exhausted," analyst Mark Chadwick said on Smartkarma.

☆ SoftBank tumbles to loss as Vision Fund in red for fourth straight quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Vision Fund, which upended the world of technology with its big bets on startups, reported an investment loss of 730.36 billion yen ($5.52 billion) in the fiscal third quarter. At SoftBank itself, the net loss totalled 783.42 billion yen, compared with a 29.05 billion yen profit a year earlier. SoftBank said the Vision Fund unit had significantly curtailed new investments and was continuing to sell some older ones as part of "prudent defensive financial management" amid the challenging market environment. GOOD ARMThe bulk of the loss at the Vision Fund unit came from a steep decline in the valuation of investments in unlisted companies. Son invested heavily in artificial intelligence and other high-tech startups through the Vision Fund in recent years, delivering both record profits and heady optimism about future valuations.

☆ SoftBank's Vision Fund posts fourth straight quarter of losses as tech slump hits Japanese giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the brainchild of the company's founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds including a slump in technology stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics. SoftBank's flagship investment arm the Vision Fund posted its fourth straight quarterly loss on Tuesday as a slump in technology valuations continues to hit the Japanese giant. The Vision Fund segment posted a pre-tax loss of 660 billion Japanese yen ($5 billion) for the December quarter. SoftBank's Vision Fund's loss on investments came in at 730.35 billion yen over the three-month period. SoftBank Group overall reported a net loss of 783.4 billion yen, sinking back to a quarterly loss after posting a profit in the July-to-September quarter.

☆ Inside SoftBank Vision Fund's awful, terrible, really bad year. How the venture fund tumbled, according to former employees, investors and rival VCs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | Ben Bergman | Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund just experienced one of its most dismal years in its history. SoftBank's Vision Fund was once a power broker, having raised a jaw-dropping $100 billion in 2017, followed by plans to raise $108 billion for Vision Fund 2 in 2019 — two of the largest venture-investing vehicles ever established. But insiders are now questioning if it will ever regain influence, according to 11 ex-Vision Fund investors, former employees, VCs, and industry analysts who weighed in on the future of the Vision Fund. One ex-Vision Fund investor described Son, now taking the reins of Vision Fund 2, as someone who is "not a manager." Given its investing performance so far, the obvious question is what happens once Vision Fund 2 has reached full investment.

☆ SoftBank faces tech stock weakness at Q2 earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is expected to face further weakness in tech stocks when it reports second-quarter earnings on Friday, after two brutal quarters that have shaken Masayoshi Son's tech conglomerate. The Vision Fund investing arm booked $50 billion in losses in the six months to end-June as valuations slid. Founder and Chief Executive Son has moved to cut headcount and refocus the second fund on managing its existing portfolio. Alibaba (9988.HK), , which SoftBank has been selling to raise cash, has fallen more than 40% year-to-date. "For most/all funding needs, SBG will use Alibaba shares to defend its balance sheet or stock price," Goyal wrote.

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