Masayoshi Son, a key figure in the tech world, has been largely absent from this year’s AI-fueled rally. That might be about to change as the founder of SoftBank Group (OTC:SFTBY) (GB:0L7L) gears up to dive into the action.
Recent Boost in SoftBank’s Fortunes
SoftBank’s share price has rallied by nearly 59% over the past six months after the Japanese conglomerate reported two profitable quarters. The company’s holdings have ballooned handsomely during this period, with shares of chipmaker Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) rallying by nearly 186% since October. SoftBank is a major shareholder in Arm.
Son’s Moves So Far
Importantly, SoftBank’s net asset value stood at $178 billion at the end of the March quarter. This gives Son enough firepower and legroom to make new aggressive bets. Additionally, Son has been offloading assets and writing down the values of some disappointing holdings in his Vision Fund.
As a result, Son is now ready to go on the offensive again—this time with a focus on AI and semiconductors. Earlier this year, Son was reportedly aiming to set up a new $100 billion AI venture, dubbed Izanagi. Importantly, Son sees AI as an opportunity to create a rival to top tech names in the U.S. He also plans to ramp up SoftBank’s power generation operations to supply energy to GenAI projects globally.
While Son’s next moves are keenly awaited, investors may do well to remember SoftBank’s past gyrations. Back in 2022, SoftBank’s market cap had tanked by nearly 59% in a year as the company’s Vision Funds took a beating. The company’s once-prized investment, WeWork (OTC:WEWKW) (DE:9WEA), recently exited bankruptcy after substantially scaling back its real estate footprint.
Is SoftBank Stock a Good Buy?
Despite the rally in its share price, analyst coverage on SoftBank remains scant at present. However, the TipRanks Technical Analysis tool is flashing a Buy signal on the stock, indicating a continuation of the Bullish action.
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