SoftBank’s options exit unlikely to stir markets, analysts say

Massive options bets believed to have been placed by SoftBank Group Corp earlier this year were among the most visible manifestations of the recent mania for technology shares, but the firm’s unwinding of its derivatives holdings is unlikely to cause much of a stir in markets, analysts said.

The big options purchases attributed to the Japanese company led it to be dubbed “the Nasdaq Whale” in some media reports. But now SoftBank will step away from derivatives trading following a backlash from its investors, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources.