Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sony-earnings-what-to-watch-1493092057
The only other information in the article is the cuts to the semiconductor unit which is responsible for the image sensors used in iPhones.
EARNINGS FORECAST: The company said last week it expects to report a net profit of ¥73 billion ($665 million) for the 12 months ended March 31, down from the year-earlier profit of ¥147.8 billion.
REVENUE FORECAST: Sony expects to book revenue of ¥7.6 trillion, the company said last week, down from ¥8.1 trillion a year ago.
WHAT TO WATCH:
CURRENT FISCAL-YEAR FORECAST: The fiscal year that started this month marks the last under Chief Executive Kazuo Hirais latest three-year business plan. Under that plan, Sony had targeted operating profit of more than ¥500 billion for the current fiscal year. Sony recorded its biggest operating profit, ¥525.7 billion, in fiscal 1997.
CASH FLOW: Sony has tried to boost its free cash flow by generating more recurring business, where customers repeatedly purchase Sony goods and services over a long period of time. Analysts are looking for more details on how Sony plans to beef up that strategy, which has so far been successful with its PlayStation and Alpha digital-camera businesses.
PLAYSTATION 4: Analysts say the popularity of Sonys PlayStation 4 videogame console, which hit the market in 2013, is nearing its peak or may have already passed it. With Nintendo Co.s recent release of a new console and Microsoft gearing up to unveil a new device later this year, attention is turning to how Sony plans to maintain demand for PlayStation 4, through which Sony sells many of its paid online services. Analysts will also be looking for more information on manufacturing volumes for Sonys virtual-reality headset PlayStation VR, which customers have had difficulty finding in stores.
The only other information in the article is the cuts to the semiconductor unit which is responsible for the image sensors used in iPhones.