Sony Returns to Profit

TOKYO, July 27: Sony Corporation has emerged from Q1 2005’s
loss of 7.3 billion yen ($63.2 million) to post a profit of 32.3 billion yen
($281 million) in the second quarter of this year, on revenues of 1,744.2
billion yen ($15.2 billion), an 11.2 percent increase on the year-ago period.

At Sony Pictures, the success of The Da Vinci Code helped revenues rise 41.8 percent to $1.78 billion.
International channel revenues also boosted the segment. The division, however,
still showed a loss for the period of $10 million as a result of higher
marketing costs incurred for upcoming second quarter theatrical releases and
increased television production expenses for U.S. network series.

The electronics division was also among the company’s strong
performers, with revenues up 13.5 percent to $11.1 billion, led by sales of the
Bravia LCD television sets. The division emerged from last year’s loss to post
a profit of $412 million.

Gaming, meanwhile, saw its revenues fall 29.1 percent to
$1.1 billion as a result of lower sales of PlayStation 2 and PlayStation
Portable, resulting in a wider loss of $233 million.