SoftBank misses profit target as OpenAI bet, exits reshape portfolio
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SoftBank misses profit estimates but boosts profit, doubles investment gains and leans harder into OpenAI and AI assets after major T-Mobile and Nvidia exits. Summary SoftBank reported ¥248.6B quarterly profit vs ¥336.7B expected, with 7.9% YoY net sales growth and a near 400% surge in net income over nine months. Vision Funds swung to a gain and now hold most of SoftBank’s ~11% OpenAI stake, as the group exits T-Mobile and Nvidia while levering Arm and other assets. CFO Yoshimitsu Goto says ~60% of assets are now AI/ASI-related and backs OpenAI’s long-term monetization via enterprise deals, hardware and advertising. SoftBank Group Corp. reported a quarterly profit of ¥248.6 billion, falling short of analyst estimates of ¥336.7 billion, according to company financial results released this week. For the nine-month period from April to December, net sales increased 7.9% year-over-year, according to the company’s earnings statement. Income before tax rose 228%, while net income climbed nearly 400% compared to the same period the previous year. Investment gains doubled during the period, though the group’s investment business outside of Vision Funds declined 91.9%. The SoftBank Vision Funds unit reported a substantial gain, reversing a loss recorded in the prior year period. The Vision Funds hold the majority of the company’s OpenAI exposure, according to company disclosures. SoftBank committed capital to OpenAI in March 2025, with funds directed through SVF2, the company’s second Vision Fund, according to regulatory filings. The first funding round closed in April 2025 with participation from SVF2, followed by a second round in December. SoftBank’s total ownership stake in OpenAI reached approximately 11%, with the first investment in OpenAI Global LLC and the second in OpenAI Group PBC following a recapitalization completed in October. The company holds its OpenAI shares directly through SVF2. Between June and December, SoftBank sold a…
Filed under: News - @ February 12, 2026 5:24 pm