Via robinhood.com
The Japanese conglomerate dumped most of its Taiwan Semiconductor holdings after previously exiting Nvidia entirely, raising questions about its evolving AI investment thesis.
SoftBank Group has cut its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. by 71.5%, reducing its holdings to just 565,000 American Depositary Shares. The move is the latest in a string of semiconductor divestitures from Masayoshi Son’s investment empire, which fully exited its Nvidia stake back in November 2025.
The reduction brought SoftBank’s TSMC ADS count down from roughly 1.985 million shares to 565,000. As of March 31, 2026, that prior position was valued at approximately $671 million, meaning SoftBank walked away from a substantial chunk of chipmaker exposure in a single transaction.
From buildup to blowout #
The timing makes the move especially interesting. SoftBank had been actively building its TSMC position throughout 2025, purchasing around $330 million worth of shares during that accumulation phase. That buying spree was part of Son’s broader push to load up on semiconductor assets as the AI boom accelerated demand for advanced chips.
Then came the pivot. SoftBank sold its entire Nvidia stake in November 2025 for approximately $5.8 billion. Now the TSMC reduction follows the same playbook: build a position, ride the wave, then trim aggressively.
Neither SoftBank nor TSMC has publicly commented on the rationale behind the latest sale. The information appears to stem from regulatory filings, likely a 13F update, which means the transaction could have occurred weeks before becoming public knowledge.
What it means for semiconductor markets #
For TSMC specifically, the impact should be limited. SoftBank’s position, even at its peak, was relatively modest compared to TSMC’s total market capitalization, which sits well north of $800 billion. The 565,000 ADS that SoftBank retained are worth roughly $190 million at recent trading levels. Whether that residual stake gets sold in a future quarter or represents a deliberate decision to maintain minimal exposure is something only the next 13F filing will reveal.
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