Asian Tech Press (Nov 8) -- SoftBank Group Corp (9984:Tokyo), the Japanese investor in China's Didi and South Korea's Coupang, will buy back up to 1 trillion yen ($8.82 billion) of its own shares, up to 14.6% of the stock, Reuters reported on Monday.

This comes as SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is under pressure to launch a new share buyback plan, according to the Financial Times, which cited sources familiar with the matter.

Sources said that SoftBank's declining share price has left shareholders "deeply disappointed."

The pressure highlights the views of some SoftBank investors, including U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management Corp, which holds a large stake in the company, the report said.

And these investors believe that the only short-term catalyst for the sluggish SoftBank share price is the capital return program.