[OpenAI IPO Expected to Drive SoftBank Stock to Record Highs] Odaily Planet Daily News: SoftBank Group's stock price surged to a historic high on Monday as the market bets that its holdings in OpenAI and SB Energy could yield massive returns if they go public in the future. Since May 20, SoftBank's stock has risen by 40%, with the company's market value surpassing 40 trillion yen ($252 billion). Last week's consecutive two-day rally propelled SoftBank's stock price upward, following reports that OpenAI is preparing to file for an IPO in the coming days. Energy infrastructure company SB Energy also announced plans to confidentially file for an IPO in the U.S. As OpenAI appears to be moving closer to an IPO, market concerns about competitors like Anthropic, Google, and xAI threatening OpenAI's position have eased. Takashi Nakagawa, a senior analyst at TokaiTokyo Intelligence Laboratory, stated that the market is "extremely excited about the long-awaited OpenAI IPO potentially becoming a reality." He added that this move would bring greater transparency to the currently opaque valuations in the AI sector. A significant portion of SoftBank's investment portfolio consists of unlisted AI-driven startups.