Asia markets mixed as SoftBank soars on Robotics deal

October 09, 2025 (MLN): Asian markets delivered a mixed performance on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 leading regional gains as shares of SoftBank Group Corp. surged as much as 13% following a major robotics acquisition.

Meanwhile, HSBC’s proposal to privatize Hang Seng Bank fueled sharp movements in Hong Kong markets.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.11%, supported by a strong rally in SoftBank shares after the tech conglomerate announced plans to acquire ABB’s robotics division from the Swiss engineering giant for $5.4bn.

The acquisition, pending global regulatory approval, strengthens SoftBank’s footprint in artificial intelligence and robotics a cornerstone of founder Masayoshi Son’s vision of “Physical AI.”

“SoftBank’s next frontier is Physical AI. Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent to fuse Artificial Super Intelligence and robotics driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward,” said Son.

The deal means ABB will abandon its earlier plan to spin off its robotics arm as a separately listed company.

The move aligns with SoftBank’s aggressive strategy to dominate the global AI ecosystem. The company already owns chip designer Arm Holdings and holds a significant stake in OpenAI.

Additionally, SoftBank owned Graphcore, a British chip designer, plans to invest $1.3 billion in India, including establishing a new research hub, according to Bloomberg.

The disclosure is expected during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India this week, accompanied by a business delegation.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong markets were highly volatile. Shares of Hang Seng Bank skyrocketed nearly 30% after HSBC proposed to take the lender private, valuing it at over HK$290bn ($37bn).

HSBC, which already holds a 63% stake, offered HK$155 per share under a privatization scheme of arrangement.

Despite the move, HSBC’s own shares fell more than 6%, while the Hang Seng Index dropped 0.93%, and the Hang Seng Tech Index slipped 0.98%.

In Mainland China, the CSI 300 Index edged up 0.4% as markets reopened after an extended holiday, supported by optimism over consumer spending and stimulus expectations.

Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.44%, while South Korean markets remained closed for a public holiday.

On Wall Street, U.S. equity futures were little changed during Asian trading hours following another record-breaking session.

The S&P 500 gained 0.58% to close at 6,753.72, marking its eighth positive session in nine days. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.12% to 23,043.38, surpassing the 23,000 level for the first time, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped marginally by 1.20 points to 46,601.78.

Despite ongoing concerns about the U.S. government shutdown entering its second week, investor sentiment remained buoyant, driven by gains in the technology, utilities, and industrials sectors all of which hit fresh highs.

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