This file photo shows the logo of SoftBank Group Corp. in Tokyo. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- SoftBank Group Corp. on Monday reported an 80.7 percent drop in net profit to 363.57 billion yen ($3.2 billion) in the fiscal first half through September, weighed down by losses related to its investments business.

       The profit nosedive came after SoftBank logged a record net profit of 1.88 trillion yen a year earlier, buoyed by a massive divestiture, including part of its stake in T-Mobile U.S. Inc., to bolster its finances.

       Revenue for the April-September period rose 13.4 percent to 2.98 trillion yen, according to SoftBank, which has focused on investing in promising startups.

       The company did not provide a full-year earnings forecast.

       SoftBank booked losses related to its investments by its Vision Fund in South Korean online retailer Coupang Inc. and China's ride-sharing giant Didi Global Inc., among other firms, as their share prices fell.

       The segment involving Vision Fund 1 and 2 reported a loss of 589.54 billion yen, compared with a 913.99 billion yen profit a year earlier.

       SoftBank's investment strategy has come into sharper focus as Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son has said active investments in promising Chinese high-tech startups would be on hold amid uncertainty over Beijing's crackdown on the tech sector.

       Last month, Vision Fund 2 invested in its first Japanese firm, Aculys Pharma Inc., a biotech venture company founded in January.

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