SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday it posted a net loss of 458.72 billion yen ($3.1 billion) for the nine months ended December, down from the 912.51 billion yen loss in the same period last year, as better performing stock markets boosted the value of its investment portfolio.

Sales rose 2.6 percent to 5 trillion yen but the Japanese company did not provide a full-year earnings forecast.

==Kyodo

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