NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 09:27 ET
Key points:
- SoftBank said it will acquire DigitalBridge for $16 a share in a deal valued at about $4 billion.
- U.S. stock index futures edged lower in holiday-thinned trading ahead of a New Year’s Day market closure.
- Gold and silver pulled back from record highs as traders booked profits into year-end.
SoftBank Group said on Monday it will acquire digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a deal valued at about $4 billion, pushing DigitalBridge shares sharply higher in premarket trading. 1 1
The deal lands as Wall Street heads into the final week of the year with lighter volumes and fewer trading days, a setup that can amplify market moves. U.S. markets are shut on Thursday for New Year’s Day. 2
SoftBank is paying $16 per share, a roughly 15% premium to DigitalBridge’s Friday close, Reuters reported. DigitalBridge managed about $108 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, according to the report. 1
DigitalBridge invests across digital infrastructure such as data centers, cell towers and fiber networks, with holdings that include Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch and AtlasEdge, Reuters reported. 1
The acquisition deepens SoftBank’s push into AI-linked infrastructure as demand rises for the computing capacity behind artificial intelligence applications. SoftBank is also part of the Stargate initiative with OpenAI, Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based investor MGX, which has laid out plans for five computing sites across Texas, New Mexico and Ohio with about seven gigawatts of combined power capacity when operating, Reuters said. 1
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open, with S&P 500 E-minis down 0.29% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis down 0.47% at 8 a.m. ET, while Dow E-minis slipped 0.11%, a Reuters report showed. 2 2
The S&P 500 was within about 1% of the 7,000 mark and the Dow had notched a record closing high last week, Reuters said, keeping investors focused on whether a “Santa Claus rally” — a seasonal pattern of gains into year-end and early January — shows up in the remaining sessions. 2
Heavyweight technology names eased, with Nvidia and Oracle down more than 1% each in premarket trading, while Tesla fell 1.1% after hitting a record high last week, Reuters reported. 2
Precious metals also pulled back after a blistering run, pressuring miners and related funds in early trade. “This morning’s (gold) price decline, which follows record highs, is attributable mainly to traders taking profits ahead of the year-end,” said ActivTrades analyst Ricardo Evangelista. 3 3
Spot gold was down 1.7% at $4,455.35 an ounce and silver fell 5.1% to $75.15 after touching a record $83.62 earlier in the session, Reuters said. 3
Investopedia’s morning markets briefing also flagged a softer start for index futures, while noting that bitcoin was around $87,300 and U.S. crude futures were up about 2.5% near $58 a barrel. 4 4
The week’s U.S. economic calendar is thin, with November pending home sales due later on Monday and minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting expected Tuesday, Investopedia said. 4
Trading hours around the holidays remain a moving target across asset classes: the NYSE has already marked an early close for cash equities on Dec. 24 and the exchange will be shut on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day, according to NYSE Group’s holiday calendar. Bond markets are also scheduled to close early at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 31, based on the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s holiday recommendations. (NYSE calendar, Nasdaq Trader calendar, SIFMA schedule; related explainers: Akron Beacon Journal, Detroit Free Press) 5
