How Softbank went from a tech investor to a big hedge fund
Softbank, the Japanese technology investor, appears to be gambling rather than investing these days. Shareholders are rattled. Matthew Partridge reports.


The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, run by Masayoshi Son, is among the world’s “biggest and most controversial” technology firms, say Matthew Field and Hasan Chowdhury in The Daily Telegraph. While it is known to focus on “young, privately-held companies”, SoftBank is now revealed to have made large bets on publicly-traded tech companies too.
It purchased $4bn of call options on tech firms. These instruments, which allow it to buy a stock at a certain price, turned the firm into a “whale”: an investor so large they automatically drive the market up if they make a purchase.
SoftBank may claim to have made $4bn in paper profits from its unusual strategy, but it is unclear whether any money will remain once the dust clears, says Jennifer Hughes on Breakingviews. Already, a “sharp downturn” in US tech stocks at the end of last week has wiped more than 10% off the Nasdaq Composite index (see page 4).
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
At the same time, SoftBank’s own shares tumbled by 5% once its activities in the options market were revealed, cutting its market cap by $7bn. In any case, even if the deals make money, this is “beside the point”: SoftBank investors can bet on publicly-traded US tech stocks “without Son’s assistance”.
A poor record
It’s hard to disagree with investors who feel that not only is Son’s gambling luck unlikely to hold, but his company also shouldn’t be behaving like a “drunken hedge fund”, says Nils Pratley in The Guardian. After all, Son’s record on timing market movements over short periods “does not impress” given that he lost $70bn during the dotcom crash in the 2000s.
The entire episode suggests that Son now prefers the “fun” of “leveraged bets and short-term risk-taking” to the more complicated task of finding long-term opportunities. These latest revelations not only raise questions about Son’s judgement, which had been called into question before, but also underlines concerns about how “poorly governed” and “financially opaque” the Japanese tech group is, says Lex in the Financial Times. Even before the latest debacle, SoftBank’s reports were just a “mish-mash” of valuation swings – many of which have proven to be wide of the mark – and extracts from the reports of companies Softbank invested in. Investors need to realise that, despite SoftBank’s public listing and retail investor base, it is little more than a “big hedge fund”.
All these problems have resulted in SoftBank having a “deep discount” to its stated net assets, says Jacky Wong in The Wall Street Journal. Ironically, this discount had started to narrow from its March peak thanks to the prudent decision to sell or monetise $42bn-worth of assets to buy back shares and redeem debt. All the progress looks set to be reversed as the “lack of transparency” on this new investment gambit widens this discount further.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.
He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.
Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.
As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri
-
Lloyds axes foreign currency fees for Club Lloyds customers
Club Lloyds customers will be able to withdraw their money abroad without incurring any extra fees
By Daniel Hilton
-
How to invest during stagflation
Trump’s tariffs look poised to push the global economy into a period of stagflation. We look at how to ensure your investments can survive a global slowdown.
By Dan McEvoy
-
Falling revenues and mounting debt spell trouble for Jumia Technologies
Struggling African e-commerce platform Jumia Technologies looks headed for the exit, says Dr Matthew Partridge.
By Dr Matthew Partridge
-
Next reports £1 billion in annual profits for the first time – what's next for the retailer?
Clothing retailer Next has become only the fourth member of its sector to surpass £1 billion in annual profits. What does this mean for the company's future?
By Dr Matthew Partridge
-
Best of British bargains: cash in on undervalued companies in the UK stock market
Opinion Michael Field, Chief Equity Market Strategist, EMEA, Morningstar, selects three attractive UK stocks where he'd put his money
By Michael Field
-
Building firm Keller presents low debt and ample scope for growth
Geotechnical contractor Keller, which supports vital global infrastructure, boasts rising profits and a cheap valuation
By Dr Mike Tubbs
-
PZ Cussons share price down 75% in last decade – why it's one to watch
Opinion Once-strong consumer-goods business PZ Cussons is out of favour with the market. That spells opportunity for investors, says Jamie Ward
By Jamie Ward
-
Cash in on the biotech sector with specialist trust BioPharma
Opinion BioPharma has an attractive niche in lending to asset-rich biotechnology companies
By Rupert Hargreaves
-
India's stock market decline wipes out $1.3 trillion in market value – can investors stay optimistic?
More than $1 trillion has been wiped off from India's stock market after investors turn to China. Has the emerging-market darling hit rock bottom?
By Alex Rankine
-
Pensions revolution: how to profit from the trends shaping the UK pension system
The UK pension system is one of the biggest in the world. Big changes are under way, says Rupert Hargreaves
By Rupert Hargreaves