SoftBank Shares Surge as AI Optimism Lifts Asian Tech Stocks

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares surged sharply on Thursday, leading gains across Asian technology stocks after NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang delivered optimistic remarks about artificial intelligence at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The rally highlighted renewed investor confidence in AI-related stocks following weeks of pressure on the sector.

SoftBank stock jumped more than 13%, rebounding strongly from a 4½-month low reached in the previous session. The stock was the top performer on Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, which climbed nearly 2% as technology and semiconductor names dominated gains. The move reflects SoftBank’s significant exposure to the global AI trade, driven by its reported $40 billion investment in OpenAI and its ownership of Arm, a leading chip design firm central to AI infrastructure development.

The positive sentiment spread across Asian chipmakers and AI-related companies. Japanese semiconductor equipment maker Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857), a key Nvidia supplier, rose nearly 5%, while Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) advanced about 3.5%. In South Korea, SK Hynix Inc. (KS:000660) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. (KS:005930) gained between 2.5% and 4%, supported by expectations of sustained demand for high-performance memory used in AI data centers. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) (TW:2330) also edged higher in Taiwan trading.

At the WEF, Jensen Huang described artificial intelligence as a driver of what he called the “largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” emphasizing that massive, multi-layered data center investments are set to continue in the coming months. He also characterized AI as “essential national infrastructure,” encouraging countries to develop domestic AI capabilities to remain competitive.

Huang’s comments helped revive sentiment toward AI and technology stocks, which had faced heavy selling pressure in late 2025 amid concerns about excessive spending, valuation risks, and circular financing within the industry. The renewed optimism was not limited to Asia, as U.S. tech stocks also rallied overnight. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 3%, Nvidia shares climbed nearly 3%, and rival Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) jumped an impressive 7.7%.

Overall, the strong performance underscores how closely global markets remain tied to AI growth expectations and leadership signals from major industry players like Nvidia.