There's renewed focus on AI hardware, increasing holdings in Nvidia and TSMC in the March quarter despite critics warning of a bubble and oversupply risks.

In its latest push into A.I. and semiconductors, SoftBank yesterday (Aug. 18) announced a $2 billion investment in Intel. The Masayoshi Son -led conglomerate purchased shares at a slight discount—$23 each—giving it about a 2 percent stake in the struggling U.S. chipmaker.

Shares in the chip maker rose following news of SoftBank’s planned investment and a possible stake for the U.S. government.

Intel receives a significant boost with SoftBank's $2 billion investment and potential $10.4 billion government stake, signaling renewed confidence in its turnaround. SoftBank's investment aligns with its AI ambitions,

Major U.S. equities indexes were mixed Tuesday as tech sector losses weighed on their performance. The S&P 500 ended the session 0.6% lower, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.5%. The Dow held onto a fractional gain.

Intel ( INTC) stock climbed more than 5% in pre-market trading Tuesday following the announcement that SoftBank Group ( SFTBY) will take a $2 billion stake in the ailing chip giant.

PayPay has filed for a US listing that could value Japan’s ubiquitous payments company at more than $10bn and help fund some of owner SoftBank’s massive bets on artificial intelligence.