TOKYO—Sony Corp. said Thursday that its net profit more than
tripled during the April-June quarter, helped by strong sales in
its videogame and smartphone image sensor divisions.
Net income rose to ¥ 82.44 billion ($665 million) from ¥ 26.8
billion a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by the Nikkei had
expected a profit of ¥ 50.5 billion. Sales were ¥ 1.81 trillion,
roughly flat from ¥ 1.8 trillion a year earlier.
After a multiyear restructuring led by Chief Executive Kazuo
Hirai, Sony is less dependent on low-margin or money-losing
consumer electronics businesses such as televisions and mobile
phones. The company's shares have roughly doubled over the past
year on signs that the turnaround is starting to work.
Sony sells image sensors that are used in digital cameras to
smartphone giants such as Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and
Xiaomi Inc. Analysts say Sony -- which has already said it is
spending ¥ 210 billion to increase sensor capacity -- may need to
invest even more to meet demand.
Sony said Thursday that sales in its "devices" division, which
includes image sensors, rose 35% in the April-June quarter.
Another pillar of the restructuring is the PlayStation 4
videogame console, which is outselling Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One
and Nintendo Co.'s Wii U. Sales in the game unit rose 12% in the
quarter, Sony said.
Meanwhile, the company's mobile phone business recorded an
operating loss of ¥ 22.9 billion in the quarter. The head of the
division, Hiroki Totoki, has said he expects further losses this
year but plans to make the business profitable again from the next
fiscal year starting April 2016.
Write to Takashi Mochizuki at takashi.mochizuki@wsj.com
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