SoftBank overtakes Toyota as Japan's most valuable company on the AI rally

SoftBank Group overtook Toyota Motor on Monday to become Japan's most valuable listed company for the first time in 23 years. The shift was driven by SoftBank's roughly $65 billion stake in OpenAI and the Nikkei index breaking 67,000 for the first time. Toyota had held the top spot since 2002. The market cap change reflects investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence over traditional automotive manufacturing. SoftBank's AI-focused investments have outpaced Toyota's steady but slower growth in market valuation. The milestone underscores Japan's market pivot toward tech and AI companies.