SoftBank Group (OTCMKTS:SFTBY) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of SoftBank Group (OTCMKTS:SFTBY) from a hold rating to an underperform rating in a research note released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on SFTBY. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of SoftBank Group in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of SoftBank Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of SoftBank Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of SoftBank Group in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, SoftBank Group has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

SoftBank Group Price Performance

SFTBY stock opened at $11.02 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $125.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. SoftBank Group has a 52-week low of $4.97 and a 52-week high of $22.50. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.01.

SoftBank Group (OTCMKTS:SFTBY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The technology company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.04. SoftBank Group had a return on equity of 23.66% and a net margin of 48.62%.The firm had revenue of $12.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.44 billion. Equities research analysts expect that SoftBank Group will post 2.22 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about SoftBank Group

Here are the key news stories impacting SoftBank Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PayPay’s U.S. IPO drew strong interest and its initial Nasdaq debut — after raising about $880 million — is being framed as a liquidity and valuation event that could unlock value for SoftBank’s stake. SoftBank’s PayPay set for hotly anticipated Nasdaq debut after raising $880 million
• Positive Sentiment: Early trading strength in PayPay shares has boosted sentiment that SoftBank can monetize portfolio companies and realize gains, which is constructive for SFTBY investors if SoftBank reduces concentrated holdings. PayPay shares are popping higher after the PAYP stock IPO
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks has adjusted its view on SoftBank to a “hold,” a modestly supportive signal but not a strong catalyst; this is a limited offset to more bearish analyst commentary. Zacks Research note
• Negative Sentiment: PayPay’s IPO was priced below the marketed range (~$879.8M), a sign the offering lacked full demand at expected levels — that undercuts potential near-term mark-ups to SoftBank’s stake and limits the positive impact on SFTBY. PayPay, SoftBank affiliate price $879.8M IPO below marketed range
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut SoftBank to “Underperform,” flagging rising structural and valuation risks from SoftBank’s accelerating funding commitments to OpenAI; that analyst downgrade is a direct driver of downward pressure on SFTBY. SoftBank downgraded by Jefferies on rising risks tied to OpenAI investment

SoftBank Group Company Profile

SoftBank Group Corp is a Tokyo‐based multinational conglomerate holding company with a primary focus on technology, telecommunications and investment management. Founded in 1981 by Masayoshi Son, the company initially operated as a software distributor before expanding into mobile communications and internet services. Over the years, SoftBank has built a diversified portfolio that spans telecom operators, semiconductor design, cloud computing, and emerging technology ventures.

A key pillar of SoftBank’s strategy is its investment arm, the SoftBank Vision Fund, which targets high‐growth technology companies around the globe.