SoftBank Rides Nvidia’s Coattails to a 16% Surge as AI Bets Pay Off

SoftBank Group shares jumped more than 16% on Thursday, snapping a five-session losing streak, after Nvidia’s latest earnings report delivered another jolt of confidence in the AI infrastructure market. The Japanese conglomerate’s rally reflects its deep ties to the AI boom through Arm Holdings, whose chip designs power the servers and data centers running on Nvidia systems. SoftBank also holds a more than $30 billion stake in OpenAI, which has generated $45 billion in gains over the past fiscal year. Andrew Jackson, head of Japanese equity strategy at Ortus Advisors, said renewed speculation about an OpenAI public listing added fuel to the fire, pushing Arm shares up over 15% in U.S. trading. “The magnitude of the move was significant given how heavily SoftBank is tied to AI assets,” Jackson noted. CreditSights, a Fitch Ratings unit, reiterated an “outperform” rating on SoftBank debt, pointing to Arm’s rally as a balance sheet strengthener despite the company’s aggressive AI spending. Nvidia’s quarterly revenue surged 85% to $81.62 billion, and the company announced an $80 billion share buyback alongside a dividend hike. For business leaders tracking AI infrastructure plays, SoftBank’s jump underscores how tightly hardware and investment strategies are now linked.