SoftBank Reports Profits Surge Fueled by AI Investments

SoftBank's financial recovery is largely driven by strategic AI investments, reporting significant profits in Q2 2025.

Key Points

  • • SoftBank reported a profit of 421.8 billion yen ($2.9 billion) for Q2 2025, a recovery from last year's loss.
  • • Sales increased by 7% to 1.8 trillion yen ($12 billion), largely due to AI investments.
  • • Masayoshi Son emphasized the company's focus on AI development and strategy.
  • • SoftBank's stock rose 1.3% following the earnings report.

SoftBank Group Corp. has posted a significant profit of 421.8 billion yen ($2.9 billion) for the April-June quarter of 2025, marking a remarkable recovery from a notable loss of 174 billion yen during the same period the previous year. The company attributed this upswing primarily to its robust investments in artificial intelligence (AI) firms, particularly in the likes of Nvidia and OpenAI, which have driven the company's performance upward. During this quarter, SoftBank also saw its sales climb by 7% to reach 1.8 trillion yen (approximately $12 billion).

Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank, stated, "The era is definitely AI, and we are focused on AI," emphasizing the central role that AI technology plays in SoftBank's emerging strategy. The firm has also diversified its investments to include companies such as Arm Holdings and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., both of which are set to benefit significantly from the AI acceleration occurring in various sectors.

Despite fluctuations characteristic of investment firms, senior executive Yoshimitsu Goto indicated a positive trend in growth, supported by other notable investments like Coupang—often recognized as the 'Amazon of South Korea'—as well as the forthcoming IPO for PayPay, a cashless payment service. Additionally, successful IPOs have been launched for Chime and Etoro, further solidifying SoftBank's financial standing. After revealing these strong earnings, SoftBank's stock responded positively, rising by 1.3% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, suggestive of increased investor confidence in the company's strategic direction.