Kenichiro Yoshida Sells 400,000 Shares of Sony (NYSE:SONY) Stock

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SONY) Director Kenichiro Yoshida sold 400,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.61, for a total transaction of $9,044,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 661,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,959,115.15. This trade represents a 37.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Sony Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of SONY traded up $0.26 on Tuesday, hitting $22.97. 3,972,264 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,391,061. The company has a market capitalization of $136.62 billion, a PE ratio of -114.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.18. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.84. Sony Corporation has a one year low of $19.63 and a one year high of $30.34.

Sony (NYSE:SONY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $19.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.43 billion. Sony had a negative net margin of 2.61% and a positive return on equity of 12.20%. Sony’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $32.86 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Sony Corporation will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sony Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0796 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 80.0%. Sony’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -55.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SONY has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Sony from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Sony in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $22.00 target price (down from $30.00) on shares of Sony in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sony currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $22.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. YANKCOM Partnership raised its position in Sony by 748.7% in the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 976 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 861 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its position in Sony by 304.0% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 760 shares during the period. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its position in Sony by 81.7% in the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,032 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Sony in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in Sony in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. 14.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sony News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sony announced a major entertainment expansion by buying the production company behind The Real Housewives and The Valley, which could strengthen its TV/content pipeline and support long-term growth. Sony buys ‘Real Housewives,’ ‘The Valley’ production company
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Sony as a strong value stock, which may help sentiment by reinforcing the company’s valuation appeal. Here’s Why Sony (SONY) is a Strong Value Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Sony also drew interest from product news, including leaks and previews around new Xperia phones and premium headphones, which can support consumer-electronics buzz. Sony’s premium ‘The ColleXion’ headphones just leaked from top to bottom
• Neutral Sentiment: Sony first-party single-player games may remain PlayStation-exclusive instead of coming to PC, a strategic choice that could help console differentiation but may limit software reach. Sony first-party singleplayer games to stay PlayStation console exclusive, no longer release on PC
• Negative Sentiment: Sony is facing backlash for raising PlayStation Plus and multiplayer access prices, a move that could pressure user growth and spark gamer dissatisfaction. Sony Is Raising The Price Of Playing Multiplayer Games Online On PlayStation 5
• Negative Sentiment: Sony is also being sued over alleged tariff-related windfalls, adding legal and margin-risk concerns for investors. Sony Is Being Sued For Allegedly Retaining ‘Substantial Windfall’ Generated By ‘Illegal’ Tariffs
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer reaction to Sony’s new Xperia AI camera has been poor, with online criticism suggesting weaker enthusiasm for one of its mobile products. Sony’s new Xperia AI camera is going viral for making photos look worse

Sony Company Profile

Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, Sony has grown from an electronics maker into a diversified global company with operations spanning consumer electronics, entertainment, gaming, semiconductors and financial services. The company’s shares trade in Japan and its American Depositary Receipts trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SONY.

Sony’s primary businesses include Electronics Products & Solutions, which covers televisions, audio equipment, digital cameras and professional broadcast systems; Game & Network Services, anchored by the PlayStation platform, consoles, software and online services; Music and Pictures, through Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, producing, distributing and licensing recorded music, film and television content; Imaging & Sensing Solutions, which develops CMOS image sensors and other semiconductor components; and Financial Services, offering life insurance, banking and other financial products in Japan.