SoftBank market value halves amid borrowing and costly AI bets

Business Oct 22, 2026

SoftBank just took a big hit. Its shares dropped 6.9% today, and the company's market value has halved since its June 2 peak.

The main reasons? Investors are uneasy about SoftBank's heavy borrowing and its big bets on AI, which feel riskier as costs rise.

SoftBank faces CoreWeave and Chinese AI

SoftBank's value has now slipped below companies like Hitachi and Recruit after once outshining even Toyota.

Financial troubles at US cloud firm CoreWeave have added to the stress.

Plus, there's growing competition for OpenAI from cheaper Chinese AI models, making it even tougher for SoftBank to keep its edge in tech.