SoftBank Group shares soar over 16% as Nvidia earnings signal strong AI momentum

Shares of SoftBank Group jumped on Thursday as blockbuster earnings from Nvidia overnight signal strong momentum in the artificial intelligence space.

SoftBank Group, whose shares surged over 16% after five straight sessions of losses, is closely tied to the AI boom through its stake in Arm Holdings, whose chip designs are used in AI servers and data centers powered by Nvidia systems. It is has also benefited from its investment in OpenAI.

The Japanese giant has invested more than $30 billion in OpenAI, with its investment gains in the company totalling $45 billion in the year ended March.

SoftBank's sharp rally was also driven by renewed optimism around a potential OpenAI listing, which helped propel Arm Holdings shares up, said Andrew Jackson, head of Japanese equity strategy at Ortus Advisors.

While the developments were largely anticipated by markets, Jackson told CNBC the magnitude of the move was still significant given SoftBank's heavy exposure to AI-related assets. Arm Holdings last closed over 15% higher in U.S. trading hours.

Analysts at Fitch Ratings unit CreditSights last week reiterated an "outperform" recommendation on SoftBank Group debt, adding that a sharp rally in Arm Holdings shares has materially strengthened the conglomerate's balance sheet despite aggressive investments into artificial intelligence.

Nvidia reported another blockbuster quarter overnight, with revenue surging 85% to $81.62 billion from $44.06 billion a year earlier. The tech giant also unveiled an $80 billion share repurchase program and raised its dividend.