SoftBank Corp (9984.T) announced a near $1 billion share buyback and a higher quarterly profit as loss-making Sprint Corp (S.N) fared better than expected, with the Japanese telecoms group forecasting “light at the end of the tunnel” for its U.S. unit. The share buyback worth up to 120 billion yen ($961.69 million) would be SoftBank’s biggest ever if carried out in full. CEO Masayoshi Son attributed the surprise move to its lackluster share price and renewed confidence in Sprint which SoftBank bought for more than $20 billion in 2013 but has struggled to turn around.