Editing Sony (section)

===Business trends===
The key trends for Sony are (as of the financial year ending March 31):<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony Fundamentalanalyse {{!}} KGV {{!}} Kennzahlen |url=https://www.boerse.de/fundamental-analyse/Sony-Aktie/JP3435000009 |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=boerse.de |language=de |archive-date=2021-11-28  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128232318/https://www.boerse.de/fundamental-analyse/Sony-Aktie/JP3435000009 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-28 |title=Sony Fundamentals (2012-2020) |url=https://www.boerse.de/fundamental-analyse/Sony-Aktie/JP3435000009 |access-date=2024-08-01 |archive-date=2021-11-28  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128232318/https://www.boerse.de/fundamental-analyse/Sony-Aktie/JP3435000009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
!Revenue (¥ tr)
!Net profit (¥ bn)
!Total assets (¥ tr)
!Employees (k)
|-
|2012
|6.4
|<span style="color:red;">−456</span>
|13.2
|162
|-
|2013
|6.8
|43.0
|14.2
|146
|-
|2014
|7.7
|<span style="color:red;">−128</span>
|15.3
|140
|-
|2015
|8.2
|<span style="color:red;">−125</span>
|15.8
|131
|-
|2016
|8.1
|147
|16.6
|125
|-
|2017
|7.6
|73.2
|17.6
|128
|-
|2018
|8.5
|490
|19.0
|117
|-
|2019
|8.6
|916
|20.9
|114
|-
|2020
|8.2
|582
|23.0
|111
|-
|2021
|8.9
|1,171
|26.3
|109
|-
|2022
|9.9
|882
|30.4
|108
|-
|2023
|11.5
|937
|32.0
|113
|}
As of January 2024, Sony, one of the largest Japanese companies by market capitalization and operating profit, was valued at over $112&nbsp;billion. At the same period, it was also recognized as the most cash-rich Japanese company, with its [[Net cash flow|net cash reserves]] of ¥1.8&nbsp;trillion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 2020 |title=コロナに負けない｢金持ち企業｣トップ500社 {{!}} 企業ランキング |url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/359062 |access-date=11 July 2020 |website=東洋経済オンライン |language=ja |archive-date=2020-11-28  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128231250/https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/359062 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=7 January 2024|title=Sony Market capitalization|url=https://companiesmarketcap.com/sony/marketcap/|access-date=7 January 2024|archive-date=2024-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107082623/https://companiesmarketcap.com/sony/marketcap/|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Sony's revenue by different [[market segments]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony Global – FY2022 Financial Statements |url=https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/er/pdf/22q4_sony.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623193253/https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/er/pdf/22q4_sony.pdf |archive-date=2023-06-23 |access-date=24 June 2023 |website=www.sony.com}}</ref>
!Segment
!Revenue FY 2022<br />(in billions of ¥)
!Revenue FY 2023<br />(in billions of ¥)
!Change
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Game & network services
|2,739
|3,644
|905
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Music
|1,116
|1,380
|264
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Pictures
|1,238
|1,369
|  131
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Entertainment, technology, & services
|2,339
|2,476
|  137
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Imaging & sensing solutions
|1,076
|1,402
|326
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Financial services
|1,533
|1,454
| −79
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |All other
|98.7
|87.6
| −11.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Total
|9,921
|11,539
|1,618
|}The company was immensely profitable throughout the 1990s and early 2000s in part because of the success of its new [[PlayStation]] line. The company encountered financial difficulty in the mid- to late-2000s due to several factors: the [[Great Recession]], increased competition for PlayStation, and the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]]. The company faced three consecutive years of losses leading up to 2011.<ref name="FT">"Sony: Too Much make-Believe." FT.com (2011): n/a. ABI/INFORM Global; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 26 May 2012.</ref> While noting the negative effects of intervening circumstances such as natural disasters and fluctuating currency exchange rates, the ''[[Financial Times]]'' criticized the company for its "lack of resilience" and "inability to gauge the economy," voicing skepticism about Sony's revitalization efforts, given a lack of tangible results.<ref name="FT" />

In September 2000 Sony had a market capitalization of $100&nbsp;billion; but by December 2011 it had plunged to $18&nbsp;billion, reflecting falling prospects for Sony but also reflecting grossly inflated share prices of the '[[dot-com bubble]]' years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fujimura |first=Naoko |date=12 December 2011 |title=Sony's Shopping Spree Is 'Wrong Direction' in Apple Battle: Tech |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-13/stringer-s-shopping-spree-wrong-direction-for-sony-in-apple-battle-tech.html |access-date=18 December 2011 |archive-date=2014-10-19  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019071743/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-13/stringer-s-shopping-spree-wrong-direction-for-sony-in-apple-battle-tech.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Net worth, as measured by stockholder equity, has steadily grown from $17.9&nbsp;billion in March 2002 to $35.6&nbsp;billion through December 2011.<ref>[http://www.gurufocus.com/financials.php?symbol=sne 10 Year Financials of sne&nbsp;– Sony Corp Adr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904021554/https://www.gurufocus.com/financials.php?symbol=sne |date=2020-09-04}}. Gurufocus.com. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.</ref> Earnings yield (inverse of the price to earnings ratio) has never been more than 5% and usually much less; thus Sony has always traded in over-priced ranges with the exception of the 2009 market bottom.

On 9 December 2008, Sony announced that it would be cutting 8,000 jobs, dropping 8,000 contractors and reducing its global manufacturing sites by 10% to save $1.1&nbsp;billion per year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCurry |first=Justin |date=9 December 2008 |title=Sony to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/09/sony-job-cuts |access-date=23 May 2010 |archive-date=2020-08-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807074027/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/09/sony-job-cuts |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2012, Sony announced that it would reduce its workforce by 10,000 (6% of its employee base) as part of CEO [[Kaz Hirai]]'s effort to get the company back into the black. This came after a loss of 520&nbsp;billion yen (roughly US$6.36&nbsp;billion) for fiscal 2012, the worst since the company was founded. Accumulation loss for the past four years was 919.32&nbsp;billion-yen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony expected to slash 10,000 jobs |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57411107-93/sony-expected-to-slash-10000-jobs/?tag=cnetRiver |access-date=9 April 2012 |archive-date=2021-02-19  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219133037/https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-expected-to-slash-10000-jobs/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Yasu |first1=Mariko |last2=Ozasa |first2=Shunichi |date=11 April 2012 |title=Sony, Sharp Losing $11 Billion Leaves Investors Let Down |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/sony-widens-net-loss-estimate-to-520-billion-yen.html |access-date=2017-03-11  |archive-date=2014-11-30  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141130110052/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/sony-widens-net-loss-estimate-to-520-billion-yen.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sony planned to increase its marketing expenses by 30% in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 June 2012 |title=Sony ups ad spend to Rs.450 cr |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article3497657.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610233952/http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article3497657.ece |archive-date=10 June 2012}}</ref> 1,000 of the jobs cut come from the company's mobile phone unit's workforce. 700 jobs will be cut in the 2012–2013 fiscal year and the remaining 300 in the following fiscal year.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ewing |first1=Adam |last2=Yasu |first2=Mariko |date=23 August 2012 |title=Sony to Cut 1,000 Jobs to Reduce Costs at Mobile Unit |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-22/sony-may-cut-1-000-jobs-at-swedish-mobile-unit-sydsvenskan-says.html |access-date=2017-03-11  |archive-date=2014-10-19  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019071739/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-22/sony-may-cut-1-000-jobs-at-swedish-mobile-unit-sydsvenskan-says.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sony had revenues of ¥6.493&nbsp;trillion in 2012 and maintained large reserves of cash, with ¥895&nbsp;billion on hand as of 2012. In May 2012, Sony's market capitalization was valued at about $15&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 May 2012 |title=Sony sees return to profit, aims to halve TV losses |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-results-idUSBRE8490A120120510 |access-date=2021-07-05  |archive-date=2021-08-18  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818073318/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-results-idUSBRE8490A120120510 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2013, Sony announced it was selling its US headquarters building for $1.1&nbsp;billion to a consortium led by real estate developer The Chetrit Group.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 January 2013 |title=Sony to sell its U.S. headquarters building for $1.1 billion |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-sony-building-idUKBRE90H03Q20130118 |access-date=2021-07-05  |archive-date=2019-04-02  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402154417/https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-sony-building-idUKBRE90H03Q20130118 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 28 January 2014, [[Moody's Investors Service]]s dropped Sony's credit rating to Ba1—"judged to have speculative elements and a significant credit risk"—saying that the company's "profitability is likely to remain weak and volatile."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chilson |first=Morgan |title=Labels Sony Credit Rating 'Junk' Amid Lower Demand |url=http://www.moneynews.com/TheWire/sony-moodys-junk-credit/2014/01/28/id/549536 |access-date=28 January 2014 |website=Moneynews |archive-date=23 October 2014  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023141458/http://www.moneynews.com/TheWire/sony-moodys-junk-credit/2014/01/28/id/549536/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 6 February 2014, Sony announced it would trim as many as 5,000 jobs as it attempts to sell its PC business and focus on mobile and tablets.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sony to cut as many as 5,000 jobs, unload Vaio |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/06/sony-selling-vaio-pc-business/5248885/ |access-date=6 February 2014 |archive-date=2020-12-02  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202034906/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/06/sony-selling-vaio-pc-business/5248885/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2014,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenway |first=David |date=2 October 2014 |title=Sony to close South African TV, HiFi and camera division |url=https://www.htxt.co.za/2014/10/29/sony-to-close-south-african-tv-hifi-and-camera-division/ |access-date=4 July 2019 |website=htxt.africa |language=en-GB |archive-date=2020-11-09  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109172021/https://www.htxt.co.za/2014/10/29/sony-to-close-south-african-tv-hifi-and-camera-division/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sony South Africa closed its TV, Hi-Fi and camera divisions<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony rethinks SA strategy amid huge loss |url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/hardware/72138/sony-rethinks-sa-strategy-amid-huge-loss/ |access-date=4 July 2019 |website=businesstech.co.za |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-10-23  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023052428/https://businesstech.co.za/news/hardware/72138/sony-rethinks-sa-strategy-amid-huge-loss/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with the purpose of reconsidering its local distribution model and, in 2017, it returned<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 April 2017 |title=Sony launches first SA store |url=https://www.fin24.com/Tech/Gadgets/sony-launches-first-sa-store-20170406 |access-date=4 July 2019 |website=Fin24 |archive-date=2019-01-17  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117123437/https://www.fin24.com/Tech/Gadgets/sony-launches-first-sa-store-20170406 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony photo gear back in South Africa – With Black Friday 2017 vouchers |url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/239278-sony-photo-gear-back-in-south-africa-with-black-friday-2017-vouchers.html |access-date=4 July 2019 |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-11-09  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109033806/https://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/239278-sony-photo-gear-back-in-south-africa-with-black-friday-2017-vouchers.html |url-status=live }}</ref> facilitated by Premium Brand Distributors (Pty) Ltd.

In November 2018, Sony posted its earning report for the second quarter showing it has lost about US$480 million in the mobile phone division,<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 November 2018|title=Sony mobile is losing more than gaming division is gaining (which is a lot of money)|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/sony-mobile-earnings-q2-2018-921061/|access-date=16 January 2021|website=Android Authority|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122002308/https://www.androidauthority.com/sony-mobile-earnings-q2-2018-921061/|url-status=live}}</ref> prompting another round of downsizing in the unit, including the closure of a manufacturing plant and halving of its workforce.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McCaskill|first=Steve |date=29 March 2019 |title=Sony shuts China smartphone plant|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/sony-shuts-china-smartphone-plant|access-date=16 January 2021|website=TechRadar |language=en|archive-date=2021-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122051937/https://www.techradar.com/news/sony-shuts-china-smartphone-plant|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vasile|first=Cosmin|title=Report: Sony to lay off half of its mobile division staff by 2020 (2,000 people)|url=https://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-cuts-half-smartphone-division-2020-report_id114940|access-date=16 January 2021|website=Phone Arena|date=29 March 2019|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122041408/https://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-cuts-half-smartphone-division-2020-report_id114940|url-status=live}}</ref>