What's going on?

SoftBank reported a quarterly loss on Monday, with the Japanese giant struggling to make out winners for its �Vision Fund� like it used to.

What does this mean?

SoftBank�s Vision Fund � the world�s biggest tech-focused investment fund � has swung between big profits and heavy losses ever since it was launched. Last quarter was decidedly the latter, with nearly $18 billion being wiped off the value of its listed investments. Its stake in South Korean ecommerce company Coupang took a $6.7 billion hit, for one, while its investment in ride-hailing car firm Didi posted a $6 billion loss of its own. And while the fund did turn a profit from selling off stock in DoorDash, that couldn�t stop it from posting a bigger loss than it reported even during the height of the pandemic.

Why should I care?

For markets: SoftBank�s trying to keep investors on side.

SoftBank�s stock price has fallen more than 40% since March, which � according to the CEO � means the company is now worth less than half as much as its own portfolio of investments. That can�t be great for its ego, but at least it�s trying to keep investors happy: the company announced on Monday that it would be buying back 15% of its own shares available on the market, which will reduce their supply and, in turn, push up the price of those left over.

For you personally: Easy come, easy go.�

Share buybacks don�t always result in higher share prices, mind you: some companies � particularly tech firms � issue new shares to employees on a regular basis to keep them motivated. As an investor, then, you�ll want to do your research into how many shares the company in question is doling out to employees � otherwise you risk seeing the upside of buybacks wiped out the moment a flood of new shares arrive.