Leonteq Securities AG Cuts Holdings in Sony Corporation $SONY

Key Points

• Leonteq Securities AG cut its Sony stake by 76% in the first quarter, selling 51,529 shares and leaving it with 16,296 shares worth about $337,000.
• Sony’s latest quarterly results missed earnings expectations, posting $0.09 EPS versus the $0.22 estimate, though revenue came in above forecasts at $19.15 billion and rose 8.3% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Sony currently has an average Hold rating and a consensus price target of $22.00, while recent insider sales have also added to the negative signal.

Leonteq Securities AG decreased its holdings in Sony Corporation (NYSE:SONY - Free Report) by 76.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,296 shares of the company's stock after selling 51,529 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG's holdings in Sony were worth $337,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. YANKCOM Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Sony by 748.7% during the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 976 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 861 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in Sony by 304.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,010 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 760 shares in the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc increased its holdings in Sony by 81.7% in the 3rd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,032 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Sony in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in Sony during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.05% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on SONY shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $22.00 price target (down from $30.00) on shares of Sony in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Sony in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Sony in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $22.00.

Sony Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of SONY stock opened at $20.79 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Sony Corporation has a 12 month low of $19.32 and a 12 month high of $30.34. The stock has a market cap of $122.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -103.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.12.

Sony (NYSE:SONY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.13). Sony had a positive return on equity of 12.20% and a negative net margin of 2.61%.The business had revenue of $19.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $32.86 EPS. The company's revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Sony Corporation will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Sony

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sony’s shift away from physical PlayStation discs could improve margins over time by reducing manufacturing, packaging, and logistics costs, and it signals a more digital-focused business model for future console generations. Sony is first console giant to stop making physical games
• Positive Sentiment: One report noted Sony’s stock climbed after the all-digital announcement, suggesting investors may be focusing on the long-term financial benefits of the transition rather than the fan backlash. Sony Stock Climbs After PlayStation’s All-Digital Announcement Despite Fan Backlash
• Neutral Sentiment: Former Sony leadership comments that PlayStation’s disc-less strategy could influence Xbox and Nintendo reinforce the idea that Sony is setting an industry trend, but this is more of a strategic headline than an immediate earnings catalyst. PlayStation's disc-less future could heavily influence Xbox and Nintendo, former Sony boss says
• Negative Sentiment: The move has triggered strong backlash from gamers and media coverage portraying Sony as abandoning physical ownership, which could create reputational noise and pressure around the PlayStation brand in the near term. Brands smell blood in the water after PlayStation axes game discs — and they're roasting Sony for it

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenichiro Yoshida sold 400,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.61, for a total value of $9,044,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 661,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,959,115.15. This trade represents a 37.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Tsuyoshi Kodera sold 51,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.54, for a total value of $1,047,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 27,553 shares in the company, valued at $565,938.62. This trade represents a 64.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 468,500 shares of company stock worth $10,487,215. 7.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.