SoftBank's AI Infrastructure Retreat Comes With a $3.7 Billion Bill
Published on 11/13/2026 at 08:01 | Editorial boerse-global.de
SoftBank Group shares slid 4.8% on Thursday, caught in a wider selloff of Asian AI-related stocks even as Japan's benchmark Nikkei index moved higher. AP linked the weakness to investor unease over reports that Jensen Huang might step down as Nvidia's chief executive and what that could mean for the artificial intelligence sector as a whole.
The drop capped a rough week for the Japanese conglomerate, which had already disclosed a net loss of ¥1.12 trillion for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 — the July-to-September period. For the six months ended September 30, SoftBank reported a net loss of ¥768.0 billion. Revenue for the quarter, however, climbed 16% to ¥2.2 trillion, according to AP.
Power Procurement Rethink Hits the Books
At the heart of the market's jitters is a $3.7 billion charge SoftBank booked in connection with revised procurement plans for powering American AI data centers. Reuters Breakingviews noted on Wednesday that the reduced reservations for power generation equipment — reportedly covering more than 13 gigawatts of capacity — underscored growing investor doubts about demand for AI infrastructure. Those concerns have weighed on the stock alongside the quarterly loss.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying SoftBank Group?
SoftBank added fuel to the debate today by updating the relevant page of its second-quarter presentation, the section covering AI data center equipment in the United States. The revision lands squarely on the topic that Breakingviews tied to investor anxiety over infrastructure demand.
UBS Trims Target but Stays Bullish
UBS cut its price target on SoftBank on Wednesday to ¥8,600 from ¥9,850, while reaffirming its buy rating on the shares.
Separately, SoftBank's regulatory path for its planned acquisition of ABB's robotics division has hit a snag: China has blocked the portion of the deal involving Chinese operations. SoftBank said it remains in dialogue with ABB and that both sides are continuing to work on the transaction, describing the talks as ongoing despite the Chinese decision.
Agile Robots Round Closes at $8.5 Billion
Even as the data center charge weighed on sentiment, SoftBank completed a financing round for Agile Robots. The company announced yesterday that the Series F round, totaling $500 million at a valuation of $8.5 billion, had closed. SoftBank led the round, with NVIDIA, Hitachi Group and T.Capital also participating.
Ad
SoftBank Group Stock: New Analysis - 13 November
Fresh SoftBank Group information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
