SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, marking one of the largest private funding rounds ever and deepening founder Masayoshi Son’s bet on AI.SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment programs in the world, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure such as data centers.AI has become the central axis of global technology markets this year, driving ...

Core Insights - SoftBank has committed $22.5 billion to OpenAI, completing a total funding round of $40 billion, with SoftBank contributing $30 billion and owning over 10% of OpenAI at a $260 billion pre-money valuation, indicating a nearly doubled valuation for the startup [1] Funding and Investment Strategy - The funding round involved extensive negotiations with Microsoft, focusing on new commercial terms and restructuring OpenAI into a public benefit corporation to secure the final tranche of funding from SoftBank [2] - Part of the new capital will be allocated to Stargate, an AI infrastructure joint venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, as part of a broader infrastructure investment strategy [2] - OpenAI has committed over $1.4 trillion in infrastructure spending over the coming years, forming partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom [2] Portfolio Repositioning - SoftBank has strategically repositioned its portfolio to facilitate this investment, including liquidating its entire stake in Nvidia, which amounted to nearly $6 billion, to fund the investment in OpenAI [3][4] - Additionally, SoftBank has agreed to acquire data center firm Digital Bridge for $4 billion to enhance its infrastructure initiatives, indicating a direct investment approach in OpenAI rather than through Nvidia [4]

Investment Overview - SoftBank has completed its $40 billion investment commitment to OpenAI, with a final payment of $22 billion to $22.5 billion made recently [1][2] - This investment gives SoftBank a stake of over 10% in OpenAI, following previous investments of $10 billion syndicated and $8 billion directly [2] Valuation and Future Funding - The investment values OpenAI at a pre-money valuation of $260 billion, which will support its AI infrastructure Stargate joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank [3] - OpenAI is reportedly seeking to raise up to $100 billion in a funding round that could value the company at approximately $750 billion to $830 billion [4][3] Additional Investments and Partnerships - OpenAI has also secured a $1 billion investment from The Walt Disney Company, alongside a three-year licensing agreement allowing the use of Disney-owned characters in AI-generated content [5] - The agreement with Disney aims to create a structured licensing model that protects creative rights while allowing for AI-generated content [5][6]

Group 1: Industry Overview - Data center stocks are gaining attention from investors due to the increasing demand for computing power, cloud infrastructure, and digital connectivity driven by artificial intelligence [1] - DigitalBridge is positioned as a unique player in the digital infrastructure space, focusing on data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell networks, and edge-computing platforms [3] Group 2: Company Specifics - DigitalBridge is set to be acquired by SoftBank in a $4 billion all-cash deal, highlighting SoftBank's aggressive strategy in AI infrastructure [2] - The market capitalization of DigitalBridge is approximately $2.8 billion, with its stock up 36% year to date, driven by enthusiasm for AI-driven data center infrastructure [4] - DigitalBridge's stock trades at around 250 times trailing earnings, significantly higher than the asset-management industry median of about nine times, indicating a growth-focused investment rather than a stable asset manager [5] - The company offers a modest annual dividend of $0.04 per share, resulting in a forward yield of approximately 0.27%, with a low payout ratio of about 10.8%, suggesting a focus on reinvestment and growth over dividends [6]

Upgrades - Argus upgraded BHP Group (BHP) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $68, citing firming prices for iron ore, copper, and coal as the global economy improves [2] Downgrades - Jefferies downgraded Mereo BioPharma (MREO) to Hold from Buy with a price target of 50 cents, down from $7, due to Setrusumab missing primary endpoints in trials, impacting Mereo's future strategy [3] - RBC Capital downgraded DigitalBridge (DBRG) to Sector Perform from Outperform with a price target of $16, down from $23, following SoftBank's acquisition announcement at $16 per share, totaling a $4 billion enterprise value [4] Initiations - Stephens initiated coverage of Commvault (CVLT) with an Overweight rating and a $162 price target, highlighting its leadership in data protection and transition to Software-as-a-Service [5] - Stephens initiated coverage of Rubrik (RBRK) with an Overweight rating and a $105 price target, noting its strong growth outlook in data protection and expected margin expansion [5] - Stephens initiated coverage of Varonis (VRNS) with an Equal Weight rating and a $40 price target, emphasizing its growth potential in data security as a Software-as-a-Service platform [5] - Freedom Capital initiated coverage of Ero Copper (ERO) with a Buy rating and a $32 price target, pointing out its high-grade, low-cost assets in Brazil [5] - H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage of Terra Innovatum (NKLR) with a Buy rating and a $25 price target, believing its use of off-the-shelf components will lower regulatory and technological barriers [5]

Group 1 - SoftBank has committed to investing $40 billion in OpenAI, with a pre-money valuation of $260 billion, and has fulfilled this commitment by sending approximately $22 to $22.5 billion recently [1][3] - Following this investment, SoftBank's ownership stake in OpenAI is expected to exceed 10% [2] - Microsoft remains a significant stakeholder in OpenAI, owning around 27% of the company, while SoftBank's investment highlights its strategic importance for the company's future [3] Group 2 - The investment landscape for AI is highly competitive, with significant financial efforts being made to fund ambitious AI projects, including SoftBank's recent $4 billion acquisition of Digital Bridge, a data center company [4][5] - OpenAI is projected to incur $1.4 trillion in compute costs over the next eight years, necessitating collaboration with major companies like Oracle and Microsoft to secure funding [6] - The ongoing initiatives, including a $500 billion project involving OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, indicate a substantial commitment to expanding AI infrastructure [6][7]

Core Insights - Softbank has completed its $40 billion investment commitment to OpenAI, with a final investment of $22 billion to $22.5 billion sent last week [1] - The total investment includes a previous $10 billion syndicated and $8 billion directly invested in OpenAI [1] - The investment values OpenAI at a pre-money valuation of $260 billion [1] Funding Details - The funding will be disbursed over a 12 to 24 month period [2] - Part of the investment is intended to support OpenAI's artificial intelligence infrastructure through the Stargate joint venture with Oracle and Softbank [2]

By Krystal Hu Dec 30 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group said it completed a $41 billion investment in OpenAI, one of the largest-ever private funding ​rounds that would give the Japanese firm a stake of about ‌11% in the ChatGPT maker. SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son has made an "all in" bet on ‌OpenAI and is expanding investment in artificial intelligence and related infrastructure, hoping to capitalize on surging demand for the computing capacity that underpins AI applications. The completion of the l ...

Group 1 - The article highlights the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, presenting significant opportunities in the market [3] - SoftBank has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge for $4 billion as part of its AI strategy, with the deal approved by the board [5] - Elon Musk discussed AI and autonomous driving collaboration with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, indicating ongoing cooperation with Tesla and legislative progress in Israel [6] Group 2 - Meta has acquired AI startup Manus for several billion dollars, marking its third-largest acquisition since its inception [8] - Prior to the acquisition, Manus was valued at $2 billion during a new funding round, with the negotiation process completed in a very short timeframe [9] - NVIDIA has completed a $5 billion stock purchase from Intel, acquiring 214,776,632 shares at a price of $23.28 per share, as part of a plan to jointly develop PC and data center chips [10]

Core Insights - The article discusses recent acquisitions in the artificial intelligence sector, highlighting significant deals by Meta, SoftBank, and NVIDIA, indicating a continued aggressive investment trend in AI technology [2][8] Group 1: Acquisitions and Investments - Meta announced the acquisition of Singapore-based AI company Manus, with an estimated purchase price around $2 billion, based on Manus's previous valuation of $500 million [2] - SoftBank revealed a $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge, showcasing CEO Masayoshi Son's ongoing commitment to large-scale investments despite recent acquisitions [2] - NVIDIA quietly acquired Groq for $2 billion, a move that reflects its strong financial position and strategic focus on enhancing its AI chip capabilities [2][9] Group 2: Market Reactions and Implications - The timing of the acquisition announcements suggests both NVIDIA and Groq aimed for a low-profile transaction during the holiday season to avoid scrutiny [9] - NVIDIA's acquisition of Groq includes a non-exclusive technology license, allowing other companies to negotiate with Groq, while also absorbing 90% of Groq's employees [9][10] - The article notes that such "pseudo-acquisitions" are becoming a norm in the AI industry to circumvent regulatory scrutiny, with NVIDIA's deal being the largest of its kind [10] Group 3: Financial Performance and Gains - Both SoftBank and NVIDIA made significant investments in Intel, with NVIDIA investing $5 billion and SoftBank $2 billion, leading to substantial gains as Intel's stock price increased over 50% since the investments [11] - SoftBank's investment resulted in a floating profit of $1.2 billion, while NVIDIA's profit reached $2.9 billion, indicating successful short-term investment strategies [11]