Sony Cuts Earnings Outlook

TOKYO – Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. cut its earnings outlook for the fiscal year Friday as hopes dim for a global recovery following the terrorist attacks in the United States.

Sony now expects a net profit of 10 billion yen ($84 million). The revisions were forced partly by the impact from the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Sony said.

``Further ramifications of these events remain uncertain, and it is difficult for Sony to estimate the overall impact,'' the company said in a statement.

The latest revision follows one in July when Sony said it expected 90 billion yen ($755 million) in profits for the fiscal year ending in March 2002, lower than its April forecast of 150 billion yen ($1.3 billion).

Sony also cut its group sales forecast to 7.5 trillion yen ($63 billion), from 7.7 trillion yen.

Friday's profit warning came after trading ended on the Tokyo stock market. Sony shares closed unchanged at 4390 yen ($36.89).

Sony said currency fluctuations will also hurt earnings. For earlier estimates, it was counting on the dollar being worth 120 yen and the euro 100 yen. With the yen gaining strength recently despite a series of interventions, Sony is now basing revised forecasts on a dollar vallued at 115 yen and the euro 105 yen. A stronger yen reduces the value of overseas earnings.

Profits are also expected to deteriorate in computer chips and personal computer parts because of a slowdown in sales, it said.

Adding to the woes are the worsening results at its troubled subsidiary Aiwa Co. as well as in its music business, Sony said.

Sony will spend an extra 30 billion yen ($252 million) in restructuring expenses toward a total for the fiscal year of 50 billion yen ($420 million) to discontinue unprofitable businesses and reduce assets, it said.

Sony also said it will cut costs in purchases by turning to competitive suppliers around the world.

For the first quarter ending in June, Sony posted operating losses in its electronics, video games and movie sections, posting a group net loss of 30 billion yen ($252 million) for the three months.

Sony is among a long list of Japanese electronics makers that are suffering because of the worldwide slowdown, especially the one in the United States.

Also Friday, NEC Corp., another Tokyo electronics maker, lowered its earnings outlook for the fiscal year. It changed its forecast to 150 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in losses from 65 billion yen ($545 million) in profits it had forecast in April.

Hopes that the American economy would recover any time soon were dashed by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, NEC said.