Sony shares jumped to their highest since May 2015 after a bullish earnings report triggered analyst predictions that the electronics maker could achieve record profit this year.
The Tokyo-based company rose 3% to ¥3 873 at the close in Tokyo on Monday after forecasting operating profit of ¥500bn (US$4,5bn) for the fiscal year to March 2018, thanks to continued dominance in gaming and strong growth in phone-camera chips.
While that was mostly in line with the ¥507bn average estimate, analysts from Goldman Sachs Group to Jefferies Group said Sony could surpass its previous record profit of ¥525,7bn in 1998. CEO Kazuo Hirai, who took the helm in 2012, has steered the company through years of restructuring and put more focus on gaming, camera chips and finance.
“We expect Sony to achieve its medium-term plan operating profit target for the first time in 10 years and believe it may surpass its record high,” Goldman analysts Masaru Sugiyama and Yusuke Noguchi wrote in a note to clients. Nomura Holdings analyst Yu Okazaki said investor interest is now shifting to what Sony will do to fuel further growth, as anticipation builds for the company’s investor day on 23 May.
Sony’s stock, which has doubled since 2013, is up 18% this year, outperforming the Topix Index.
Operating profit in the fiscal year to March 2017 slipped 1,9% to ¥288,7bn, while net income halved to ¥73,3bn as earthquakes in Kyushu a year ago derailed the company’s chip and camera businesses. Revenue fell 6,2% to ¥7,6 trillion.
Games were a big boost, with operating profit climbing 53% to ¥135,6bn. Sony is leaning more than ever on its PlayStation business. Operating profits for the division are expected to climb to ¥170bn, accounting for about a third of total profit, as the company cashes in on the PlayStation 4’s later life-cycle stage, typically the most profitable period for consoles.
For the first time, sales from online games, downloads and streaming services exceeded that of hardware sales, Sony said. PS4’s install base hit 60m at the end of March, and the company plans to sell 18m more this fiscal year, slightly lower from the 20m it sold last year.
“Having completed a number of reorganisations, we believe that each of our businesses have achieved independence as individual businesses,” chief financial officer Kenichiro Yoshida said at a news conference on Friday.
Outside of games, Sony is counting on strong growth at its chip division, where operating profit is forecast to climb to ¥120bn, reversing a loss. The company controls half of the market for image sensors, the chips inside phones that convert light particles into digital photos and videos. With more models including the upcoming iPhone expected to adopt multiple sensors to improve image quality, analysts say Sony is well positioned to recover from last year’s earthquakes.
“If you look at the near term, dual-camera sensor usage is ramping up,” said David Dai, an analyst at Sanford C Bernstein & Co. “That’s really good for Sony.”
Image sensor production will be boosted by about 20% to 100 000 wafers a month, Yoshida said at the news conference on Friday.
For now, analysts said Sony will focus on reaching, and possibly exceeding its targets. The movies and television business, after a string of box-office disappointments, is looking to bring in a new chief. Sequels to Blade Runner and Trainspotting are due out this year, and there are high hopes that Sony’s collaboration with Marvel Entertainment will breathe new life into its Spider-Man franchise.
With the turnaround now mostly behind him, focus is starting to shift to how Hirai plans to switch from fighting fires to igniting more growth.
“The question is what story comes after this? That’s what’s on everyone’s mind,” said Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Securities. “Do you have killer hardware? Do you have killer entertainment? The answer is they’re lacking something.” — (c) 2017 Bloomberg LP
