GM Shares Surge as Softbank Fund Invests in Its Driverless-Car Unit

The Vision Fund's investment values the business at $11.5 billion. GM shares surged 11% to $42.07 in morning trading. The Vision Fund's investment will come in two tranches: an initial $900 million payment, and another of $1.35 billion once Cruise's autonomous vehicles are ready for commercial deployment, GM said. The deal will "afford GM increased flexibility with respect to capital allocation" as it plows more money into developing a network of autonomous ride-share vehicles, targeted for sometime next year, the company said. For years, GM's shares have languished as valuations for upstarts like electric-car maker Tesla Inc. and ride-share firm Uber Technologies Inc. soared on expectations of heady growth.