DigitalBridge Group Inc. (DBRG) shares rocketed higher Friday after Bloomberg reported that SoftBank is exploring a deal to acquire the digital infrastructure investment firm and take it private.
What's Happening: According to Bloomberg's sources, SoftBank is in active discussions to buy DigitalBridge, positioning itself to capitalize on the explosion in demand for AI-related digital infrastructure. People familiar with the matter say talks are ongoing and a deal could come together within weeks, though nothing is finalized yet.
DigitalBridge carries a market value of approximately $1.8 billion, and its shares had been down 13% for the year before Friday's surge. The company, led by CEO Marc Ganzi, reported around $108 billion in assets under management as of September's end. Its portfolio includes stakes in prominent operators like AIMS, AtlasEdge, DataBank, Switch, Vantage Data Centers, and Yondr Group.
Representatives from both companies declined to comment on the reported discussions.
This wouldn't be SoftBank's first rodeo in asset management—it acquired Fortress Investment Group back in 2017. The Japanese conglomerate has been aggressively expanding its digital infrastructure ambitions lately. In January, it announced Stargate, a jaw-dropping $500 billion data-center project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi's MGX. However, that initiative has hit some speed bumps due to disagreements over site locations and evolving market dynamics.
DBRG Price Action: At the time of publication, DigitalBridge shares were trading 32.72% higher at $12.90.
