GoKawiilCANADA - 2025/08/07: In this photo illustration, the SoftBank Group (Soft Bank) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Shares of SoftBank Group skyrocketed Thursday as blockbuster earnings from Nvidia overnight signaled strong momentum in the artificial intelligence space.
SoftBank Group shares, which had declined for five straight sessions, rose 19.8% to add about $35 billion to its market-cap Thursday.
The company's fortunes are closely tied to the AI boom through its stake in Arm Holdings, whose chip designs are used in AI servers and data centers powered by Nvidia systems, and its investments in OpenAI.
The Japanese giant has put in more than $30 billion in OpenAI, with its investment gains in the company totaling $45 billion in the year ended March.
SoftBank's sharp rally is being driven by renewed optimism around a potential OpenAI listing, which helped propel Arm Holdings shares up, said Andrew Jackson, head of Japanese equity strategy at Ortus Advisors.