{"id":61878,"date":"2026-05-13T03:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T07:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T03:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T07:38:27","slug":"softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/","title":{"rendered":"SoftBank Net Income Quadruples to \u00a55 Trillion as Intertek Faces \u00a310.6B Private Equity Takeover"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#SoftBanks_AI_Pivot_Pays_Off_with_Record_Gains\" >SoftBank\u2019s AI Pivot Pays Off with Record Gains<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#Intertek_Nears_106_Billion_Deal_with_EQT\" >Intertek Nears \u00a310.6 Billion Deal with EQT<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#UK_Political_Turmoil_as_Unions_Withdraw_Support\" >UK Political Turmoil as Unions Withdraw Support<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#Global_Macro_Fed_Delays_and_Geopolitical_Tensions\" >Global Macro: Fed Delays and Geopolitical Tensions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/softbank-net-income-quadruples-to-%c2%a55-trillion-as-intertek-faces-10-6b-private-equity-takeover\/61878\/#Regional_Market_Moves_and_Energy_Disruptions\" >Regional Market Moves and Energy Disruptions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>SoftBank (<a href=\"\/stock\/SFTBY\">SFTBY<\/a>) reported a massive fiscal year net income of \u00a55.003 trillion ($31.74 billion)<\/strong>, more than quadrupling the previous year&#39;s profit and shattering analyst estimates of \u00a53.531 trillion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intertek (<a href=\"\/stock\/ITRK\">ITRK<\/a>) is set to agree to a \u00a310.6 billion takeover<\/strong> by private equity firm <strong>EQT<\/strong>, marking one of the largest London-listed acquisitions in recent years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a leadership crisis<\/strong> as the <strong>TULO<\/strong> umbrella group of 11 major unions declared he will not lead the party into the next election following &quot;catastrophic&quot; local results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UBS Global Wealth Management pushed back its Federal Reserve rate cut forecast<\/strong>, now expecting 25 bps cuts in <strong>December 2026 and March 2027<\/strong>, citing persistent inflation and a resilient labor market.<\/li>\n<li><strong>European semiconductor stocks rallied 1%\u20135%<\/strong>, led by <strong>ASML (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASML\">ASML<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>STMicroelectronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/STMPA\">STMPA<\/a>)<\/strong>, as investors hunt for AI-related plays outside of Wall Street.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SoftBanks_AI_Pivot_Pays_Off_with_Record_Gains\"><\/span>SoftBank\u2019s AI Pivot Pays Off with Record Gains<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>SoftBank (<a href=\"\/stock\/SFTBY\">SFTBY<\/a>) has staged a dramatic financial recovery, posting a full-year net profit of <strong>\u00a55.003 trillion<\/strong> ($31.74 billion) for the fiscal year ending March 2026. The results were primarily driven by <strong>$43.9 billion in gains<\/strong> from its investment in <strong>OpenAI<\/strong>, the creator of ChatGPT.<\/p>\n<p>The Japanese tech giant confirmed it is doubling down on artificial intelligence, with plans to increase its total investment in <strong>OpenAI<\/strong> to <strong>$64.6 billion<\/strong>. Additionally, the company benefited from the March Nasdaq listing of its payment app operator, <strong>PayPay<\/strong>, further strengthening its balance sheet for future AI infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intertek_Nears_106_Billion_Deal_with_EQT\"><\/span>Intertek Nears \u00a310.6 Billion Deal with EQT<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Testing and certification giant Intertek (<a href=\"\/stock\/ITRK\">ITRK<\/a>) is reportedly on the verge of accepting a <strong>\u00a310.6 billion &quot;final&quot; offer<\/strong> from private equity group <strong>EQT<\/strong>. The deal comes amid mounting pressure from shareholders for the board to engage with the buyout firm following a period of stagnant growth.<\/p>\n<p>The takeover has become the primary focus of the London market, pitting major investment banks against each other in what analysts describe as a &quot;showdown&quot; for one of the UK&#39;s most prominent industrial service firms. If completed, the deal would represent a significant premium over Intertek&#39;s early March trading levels.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"UK_Political_Turmoil_as_Unions_Withdraw_Support\"><\/span>UK Political Turmoil as Unions Withdraw Support<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation (TULO)<\/strong>, representing 11 major union funders, issued a stinging statement today claiming &quot;Labour cannot continue on its current path.&quot; The group stated it is &quot;clear the PM will not lead Labour into the next election,&quot; following the loss of over 1,000 council seats in recent elections.<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister <strong>Keir Starmer<\/strong> is currently facing a coordinated revolt, with more than <strong>90 Labour MPs<\/strong> calling for his resignation. High-profile ministerial departures, including <strong>Jess Phillips<\/strong> and <strong>Zubir Ahmed<\/strong>, have further destabilized the government ahead of a scheduled meeting with leadership rival and Health Secretary <strong>Wes Streeting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Global_Macro_Fed_Delays_and_Geopolitical_Tensions\"><\/span>Global Macro: Fed Delays and Geopolitical Tensions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>UBS Global Wealth Management<\/strong> has revised its outlook for the <strong>U.S. Federal Reserve<\/strong>, delaying expected rate cuts until late 2026. The bank now forecasts two 25 bps reductions in <strong>December 2026 and March 2027<\/strong>, a significant shift from its previous forecast of cuts starting in September of this year.<\/p>\n<p>On the geopolitical front, markets are closely watching the eve of the <strong>Trump-Xi summit<\/strong> in Beijing. Tensions remain high in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, where a Chinese-linked oil tanker, the <em>Yuan Hua Hu<\/em>, recently made a crossing via Iranian lanes despite a heavy U.S. Navy presence in the region.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Regional_Market_Moves_and_Energy_Disruptions\"><\/span>Regional Market Moves and Energy Disruptions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In Europe, <strong>France\u2019s CPI<\/strong> was confirmed at <strong>2.2% year-on-year<\/strong> for April, driven by a <strong>14.2% surge in energy prices<\/strong>. Meanwhile, <strong>Siemens (<a href=\"\/stock\/SIEGY\">SIEGY<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Roland Busch noted that while Middle East tensions have not yet had an immediate impact on inflation, the long-term effects remain &quot;uncertain.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Energy markets saw further volatility following a <strong>drone strike on a Russian oil refinery<\/strong> in Astrakhan, which triggered a significant fire. In South Korea, <strong>SK Innovation<\/strong> warned that operations may take time to normalize following extended disruptions related to regional conflicts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways SoftBank (SFTBY) reported a massive fiscal year net income of \u00a55.003 trillion ($31.74 billion), more than quadrupling the 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