SoftBank comes out ahead in Japan Inc.'s race for retail investors

EquitiesTop companies draw young traders with stock splits, perks and communicationNearly half of SoftBank Corp.'s individual shareholders were younger than 50 as of the end of March. (Photo by Sae Kamae)YO MORIGUCHIAugust 20, 2026 05:02 JSTTOKYO -- SoftBank Corp. gained more retail shareholders than any other Japanese company last fiscal year, as more businesses took steps to attract young, long-term investors to help provide stability.