tech
SoftBank tops Toyota for first time since dot-com peak
SoftBank briefly overtook Toyota as Japan’s most valuable company, the first time since February 2000 when dot-com was about to collapse. Kioxia went from 154th to top three in a year. The AI-or-nothing rally is reshuffling Japan Inc at alarming speed.
TL;DR
- SoftBank briefly overtook Toyota as Japan's most valuable company, a position not held since February 2000.
- Kioxia, a NAND flash memory maker, has risen from 154th to the top three in one year due to AI-driven memory demand.
- The AI rally is causing a reshuffle in Japan Inc, with component companies surging and downstream firms struggling.
- The current situation is compared to the dot-com bubble of 2000, raising concerns about market concentration and valuation sustainability.
- Toyota's resilience suggests that traditional manufacturers still hold value beyond the AI hype.
- Future mega tech IPOs will test the durability of the AI rally.