Japan’s SoftBank returns to profit as investments rebound

By YURI KAGEYAMA
AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group has reported a 3 trillion yen, or $21 billion, profit for the July-September quarter, a sharp reversal from its loss a year ago. SoftBank tends to have fluctuating financial results because it invests in an array of companies, and their stock prices have shifted lately, depending on various global factors. SoftBank invests in hundreds of companies, including the mobile carrier SoftBank, web services provider Yahoo, vehicle-for-hire company Didi and e-commerce giant Alibaba. SoftBank also is involved in the Vision Fund with other global investors, which posted losses.