SoftBank Group

SoftBank boosted by $8.2B Intel gain

SoftBank reported fiscal first-quarter profit driven largely by a 1.3 trillion yen (about $8.2 billion) gain on its stake in Intel and a rise in the value of its stake in ByteDance. The company posted net profit of 347.3 billion yen for the June quarter, beating analyst expectations, while its Vision Funds saw a $1.7 billion gain led by a $2.2 billion increase in ByteDance's valuation. SoftBank recorded no investment gain or loss tied to OpenAI. Its AI computing segment posted a larger loss year-on-year, with higher R&D costs at owned chip companies such as Arm, Graphcore and Ampere cited as a reason.

Michael Burry Warns of Imminent Market Crash

Investor Michael Burry, known for his Big Short bets, warned of a major market top and potential stock market crash amid record highs in US indexes and the AI-driven rally. Burry has placed short positions against several AI-related companies (including Nvidia, Palantir and Tesla) and is concerned that massive investments in IT and AI infrastructure — funded by hyperscalers' strong earnings — may not pay off. He also flagged that low volatility and momentum-driven buying could amplify losses if the rally reverses. The article references a reported possible financing arrangement involving Nvidia, OpenAI and Softbank tied to a large data-center project.

AI Rally Sends SK Hynix and Samsung Stocks Higher

South Korean chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics surged more than 20% on July 30, 2026, as a rebound in U.S. technology stocks followed stronger-than-expected quarterly results from Amazon and Microsoft that revived optimism about AI infrastructure spending. The iShares Semiconductor ETF also jumped overnight, and Japanese semiconductor names such as Advantest, Tokyo Electron, Disco, Lasertec and Renesas Electronics rallied. Market commentary cited Microsoft’s Azure cloud strength and controlled capex as catalysts for renewed risk-on appetite toward AI-linked chipmakers.