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SoftBank Group issued a total of $11.1 billion in dollar- and euro-denominated senior notes according to a regulatory filing reported Thursday by Reuters. The dollar portion included $1 billion of 3.5-year notes at 8.625 percent, $4.5 billion of 5.5-year notes at 9.25 percent and $4.5 billion of 7.5-year notes at 9.75 percent. The euro component comprised two €500 million tranches with four- and six-year maturities yielding 7.125 percent and 8 percent respectively while a Bloomberg report noted the transaction drew more than $20 billion in early orders.
The bond proceeds will finance the third and final $10 billion payment toward SoftBank’s $30 billion follow-on commitment to OpenAI Reuters reported. Completion of that tranche scheduled for October 1 will lift the Japanese firm’s cumulative investment in the ChatGPT creator to $64.6 billion for an approximate 13 percent stake. SoftBank had arranged a $40 billion bridge facility earlier this year to cover the outlays before shifting to permanent debt financing.
SoftBank has emerged as one of the largest borrowers in the high-yield market this year with nearly $15 billion raised across currencies according to a MarketWatch analysis. The company issued 1 trillion yen or roughly $6.32 billion in retail-targeted corporate bonds earlier in September a separate Reuters dispatch showed. Executives including chief financial officer Yoshimitsu Goto held investor meetings in New York last week to outline the latest deal a Financial Times account indicated.
Global issuance of debt tied to artificial intelligence has surpassed $575 billion so far in 2026 a Goldman Sachs Group credit strategists’ report found. SoftBank sits at the forefront of that wave through its OpenAI position along with additional investments in robotics and related technologies. The elevated yields on the new bonds illustrate the rising cost of capital for such concentrated AI exposure CreditSights analysts observed in an August note.
Shares in SoftBank Group climbed more than 7 percent in Tokyo trading on September 24 following the announcement CNBC data showed. The gain arrived as Japanese markets reopened after a three-day holiday weekend. Investors appeared to welcome the successful placement as evidence of sustained appetite for the company’s artificial intelligence ambitions despite the premium borrowing rates.
The transaction stands among the largest junk-bond deals ever completed in the dollar and euro markets according to a Bloomberg assessment. SoftBank maintains a BB+ credit rating the highest tier within speculative-grade territory. The offering replaces portions of the earlier bridge loans while providing flexibility for further artificial intelligence deployments a Reuters filing review stated.
