SoftBank Eyes Buying DigitalBridge in AI Data-Center Play (1)

SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., a private equity firm that invests in assets such as data centers, as it seeks to take advantage of an AI-driven boom in digital infrastructure, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The Japanese conglomerate is negotiating a potential deal to buy New York-listed DigitalBridge and take it private, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is confidential.

Shares of DigitalBridge, which had fallen 13% this year before Friday, rose 45% in New York trading for the their biggest-ever one-day gain. The shares ...