硬AI·2025-08-05 16:02Core Viewpoint - SoftBank is significantly increasing its investments in AI hardware, particularly by boosting its stakes in Nvidia and TSMC, as part of its strategy to capture key segments of the AI industry chain [3][7]. Investment Actions - As of March 31, SoftBank's stake in Nvidia rose from $1 billion to approximately $3 billion, with new investments of about $330 million in TSMC and $170 million in Oracle [3][8]. - These investments coincide with Nvidia's market capitalization surpassing $4 trillion and TSMC nearing a $1 trillion valuation, resulting in substantial paper gains for SoftBank [3][8]. Financial Performance - Analysts expect SoftBank to report a positive net profit in its upcoming Q2 financial results, primarily driven by the strong performance of its AI-related assets [5]. - SoftBank's stock reached an all-time high last month, reflecting investor confidence in its strategic initiatives, including a $500 billion Stargate data center project in collaboration with OpenAI and a $30 billion additional investment in OpenAI [5][10]. Strategic Goals - SoftBank's latest investment moves are strategically targeting critical nodes in the AI industry, with Nvidia representing AI chip design, TSMC for manufacturing, and Oracle for cloud service infrastructure [7]. - The company aims to become a leading platform provider in artificial superintelligence, as stated by its CEO Masayoshi Son [9][11]. Future Projects - SoftBank is pursuing large-scale partnerships to play a more central role in the AI proliferation process, including the $500 billion Stargate data center project and a $1 trillion AI manufacturing center plan in Arizona [10]. - The company plans to acquire Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion and has already raised approximately $4.8 billion by selling part of its T-Mobile stake to ensure liquidity for its hardware investments [8][10]. Market Positioning - SoftBank's investment strategy is seen as a way to regain access to profitable segments of the semiconductor supply chain, especially after previously selling 4.9% of Nvidia shares in early 2019 [11]. - The Vision Fund's past losses have limited SoftBank's ability to invest in generative AI during its early stages, but recent moves to repurchase Nvidia shares and invest in TSMC are viewed as corrective actions [11].