SoftBank Group will report quarterly results on Tuesday, as investors look for signs that its AI strategy is still on track. A sharp fall in AI stocks and a blocked robotics deal have added to the pressure, Reuters reported.

SoftBank shares fell more than 11% in Tokyo on Friday. On the same day, the cost of insuring its debt against default rose to its highest in four years.

That cost is measured by credit default swaps, which pay out if a borrower fails to repay. SoftBank's five-year spread rose to 466 basis points, the widest since October 2022, according to Markit data cited by Reuters. A basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point.

The Japanese group has invested across AI model makers, data centres, chips and robotics. Its biggest bet is OpenAI. In October, SoftBank completed a $30bn follow-on investment in the ChatGPT maker, taking its stake to about 13%.

However, its robotics plans took a hit last week. China blocked SoftBank's planned $5.4bn purchase of ABB's robotics division, ABB said on Thursday. The Financial Times first reported the decision.

SoftBank agreed to the deal in October 2025 as a key part of its push into physical AI, which uses AI to run robots and machines. Chinese officials were worried about robotics data being sent abroad to train AI models, the FT reported.

“ABB and SoftBank are in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction,” ABB said in a statement.

SoftBank is also in talks with Chinese authorities, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Meanwhile, results of this week's US midterm elections have raised worries about slower data-centre building. Rolf Bulk, an analyst at Futurum, told Reuters that SoftBank could take a more defensive stance.

SoftBank's results are hard to predict, because they swing with the value of its large investment portfolio.

Separately, its mobile arm SoftBank Corp reported record first-half results on Monday and raised its full-year forecast. Revenue rose 12% to ¥3.8tn, helped by growth in cloud and AI services.

SoftBank Group shares hit a record high in May. They have since fallen by almost half since early September.