Softbank has sold a slice of its stake in Yahoo Japan in part to help finance its acquisition of Vodafone Group’s Japan unit, it said Wednesday.BB Technology, which is a wholly owned unit of Softbank, sold 173,000 shares of Yahoo Japan for 23.3 billion yen (US$199 million), Softbank said in a statement. The shares are equivalent to a 0.6 percent stake in Yahoo Japan and leave the Softbank group holding a 41.3 percent stake in the Japanese Internet portal operator.The sale helps Yahoo Japan avoid delisting under Tokyo Stock Exchange rules, which place a company on the way to being delisted if the combined stake of major shareholders exceeds 75 percent. With the sale, the combined stake of Softbank and U.S.-based Yahoo is 74.7 percent, Softbank said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe The proceeds will be used to finance Softbank’s planned 1.8 trillion yen ($15.3 billion) acquisition of Vodafone KK, the Japanese mobile phone operator owned by the United Kingdom’s Vodafone. That deal, which was announced last week, is expected to greatly increase the fusion between the Yahoo Japan portal and cell phones. -Martyn Williams, IDG News ServiceFor related coverage, read Softbank to Acquire Vodafone’s Japan Unit. Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer for more updated news coverage. Related content opinion The changing face of cybersecurity threats in 2023 Cybersecurity has always been a cat-and-mouse game, but the mice keep getting bigger and are becoming increasingly harder to hunt. By Dipti Parmar Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Cybercrime Security brandpost Should finance organizations bank on Generative AI? Finance and banking organizations are looking at generative AI to support employees and customers across a range of text and numerically-based use cases. By Jay Limbasiya, Global AI, Analytics, & Data Management Business Development, Unstructured Data Solutions, Dell Technologies Sep 29, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Embrace the Generative AI revolution: a guide to integrating Generative AI into your operations The CTO of SAP shares his experiences and learnings to provide actionable insights on navigating the GenAI revolution. By Juergen Mueller Sep 29, 2023 4 mins Artificial Intelligence feature 10 most in-demand generative AI skills Gen AI is booming, and companies are scrambling to fill skills gaps by hiring freelancers to make the most of the technology. These are the 10 most sought-after generative AI skills on the market right now. By Sarah K. White Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Hiring Generative AI IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe