First Trust Advisors LP Cuts Stock Holdings in Sony Corporation $SONY

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors cut its Sony holdings by 59.3% in the first quarter, selling 227,976 shares and retaining 156,609 shares valued at $3.24 million.
• Sony reported quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share, beating estimates of $0.28, while revenue rose 8.2% year over year to $17.45 billion. The stock opened at $23.09, up 2.9%.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $22 average price target, although insiders sold shares and investors continue to face valuation, currency and cash-flow risks.

First Trust Advisors LP cut its holdings in Sony Corporation (NYSE:SONY - Free Report) by 59.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 156,609 shares of the company's stock after selling 227,976 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in Sony were worth $3,242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in SONY. Binnacle Investments Inc increased its stake in shares of Sony by 81.7% during the 3rd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,032 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sony during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sony in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Sony in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Sony by 404.1% during the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,109 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 889 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.05% of the company's stock.

Sony Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of SONY stock opened at $23.09 on Friday. Sony Corporation has a 12 month low of $19.32 and a 12 month high of $30.34. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.49. The stock has a market cap of $136.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Sony (NYSE:SONY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, August 1st. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.08. Sony had a negative net margin of 2.00% and a positive return on equity of 13.06%. The business had revenue of $17.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $42.84 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Sony Corporation will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Tsuyoshi Kodera sold 51,000 shares of Sony stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.54, for a total transaction of $1,047,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 27,553 shares in the company, valued at approximately $565,938.62. This trade represents a 64.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Robert Adrian Stringer sold 545,547 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.49, for a total transaction of $12,269,352.03. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 100,547 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,261,302.03. This trade represents a 84.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 1,350,065 shares of company stock valued at $29,878,266 in the last quarter. 7.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Sony News

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgrade: Zacks Research raised Sony from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” adding to the bullish momentum around the stock. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Profit outlook remains favorable: Sony’s latest quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded consensus estimates, while recent analysis cited faster profit growth, higher forecasts and recurring revenue from its entertainment businesses. Analysts’ average price target suggests substantial additional upside, although targets are not guarantees. Sony Stock Gains 10.9% in a Week
• Positive Sentiment: Entertainment and gaming catalysts: Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day surpassed $1 billion in global box-office revenue. Jefferies also expects 2026 to be a breakout year for Sony, helped by the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Hollywood is cranking out billion-dollar movies again
• Positive Sentiment: Sensor growth potential: Sony’s planned venture with TSMC could improve scale and technology in its image-sensor business, providing a longer-term semiconductor growth opportunity. Sony’s TSMC Sensor Venture
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions: Robert Adrian Stringer, Ravi Ahuja and Tsuyoshi Kodera sold shares, including Stringer’s substantially larger transaction. The filings state the sales were made to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making them less indicative of negative views about Sony’s prospects. Sony SEC insider filing
• Negative Sentiment: Risks could limit further gains: Recent commentary highlights Sony’s valuation, currency exposure, cash-flow pressure, earthquake risk, sensor-venture costs and weakness in smartphones. These concerns may become more significant after the stock’s recent rally. Is Sony Stock a Buy?

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on SONY shares. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Sony in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Sony in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sony from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Sony from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $22.00.

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.

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