The Tokyo-based firm reported net income of ¥3.08 trillion (US$22.2 billion) for its fiscal second quarter ending in September, compared to a ¥342 billion loss last year and a ¥3.1 trillion loss the previous quarter. (The Logic)

Talking point: Softbank’s long-standing stake in Alibaba drove the profitable performance, with sales of the e-commerce giant’s increasingly valuable shares and linked derivatives contributing ¥5.37 trillion (US$38.7 billion) to the Japanese company’s bottom line. But other investments proved less lucrative. SoftBank’s first and second Vision Funds lost ¥1.85 trillion (US$13.3 billion) and ¥2.02 trillion (US$14.6 billion), respectively, and both committed comparatively little capital during the quarter. Friday also marked a personnel shift of sorts at Softbank. In an extended, slide-accompanied autobiographical presentation, CEO Masayoshi Son announced he would no longer speak during quarterly events, focusing instead on semiconductor firm ARM, which he’s looking to take public. “Other management [will] be keeping in defensive mode,” he said, “to be defensive, [Softbank CFO Yoshimitsu] Goto is more suitable than me.”