Bloomberg

Friday, July 17, 2026 12:15 | 2 minutes read

SoftBank Group plans to sell bonds worth about 60 billion yen ($369 million) to institutional investors in Japan this month, after issuing bonds to individual investors in the domestic market, along with foreign currency–denominated bonds earlier this year.

The Japanese company plans to issue three-year bonds worth about 50 billion yen and five-year bonds worth 10 billion yen during the week starting July 27, according to lead manager Daiwa Securities. Nomura Securities and SMBC Nikko Securities will also manage the issuance.

The new issuance highlights SoftBank’s growing financing needs as it expands its AI investments, including a commitment to invest about $65 billion in OpenAI. The company, founded by Masayoshi Son, had already raised 678 billion yen this year through subordinated bonds sold to individual investors, and tapped U.S. and euro bond markets in April.

SoftBank Seeks Loan Backed by Stake in OpenAI

Concerns have grown recently about the expected returns from AI investments, pressuring shares of semiconductor-related companies, including SoftBank’s Arm Holdings. SoftBank’s stock has also fallen from its peak in early June after reports of a possible delay in OpenAI’s initial public offering.

Wed, 10 2026

SoftBank is also considering a margin loan secured by its stake in OpenAI, with its original target reduced to about $6 billion from an initial $10 billion.

The latest bond issuance comes after S&P Global Ratings raised its outlook on the company from “negative” to “stable” on July 16, citing an improvement in SoftBank’s financial position more than previously expected, following a sharp rise in Arm’s stock price. The agency also affirmed its long-term rating at “BB+,” one notch below investment grade.

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