SoftBank

SoftBank intends to invest $50 billion in Malaysia to develop artificial intelligence, new technologies and data center infrastructure, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. Masayoshi Son has identified sites in Kuching, Sarawak and on peninsular Malaysia, and SoftBank recently signed a framework agreement with Grab and Petroleum Sarawak to explore AI computing and digital infrastructure. The move aligns with Malaysia's goal to become an "AI nation" by 2030 and follows major cloud and data center commitments from Google, AWS and Microsoft. » More on cnbc.com

US indices are mixed as rising oil prices stoke interest-rate concerns and investors await earnings from major tech companies. Doubts about financing the AI boom are weighing on tech stocks and putting selling pressure on semiconductor and data-center names. Softbank Group's credit risk climbed to its highest level in nearly four years as investors watch for results from Meta and signals on the profitability of AI investments. » More on handelsblatt.com

SoftBank's stock fell sharply as differing figures for OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate and high financing costs unsettled investors. Group CEO Masayoshi Son is reportedly seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors for a fund to finance AI acquisitions, but no agreement has been reached. SoftBank has so far invested $64.6 billion in OpenAI and recently refinanced with expensive dollar bonds carrying coupons of up to 9.75 percent, bringing balance-sheet and credit risks more into focus. » More on finanzen.net