Insider Selling: Sony (NYSE:SONY) Insider Sells 15,580 Shares

Key Points

• Sony insider Ravi Ahuja sold 15,580 shares at an average price of $22.71, generating $353,821.80. The transaction was intended to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards and reduced his holdings by 41.35% to 22,096 shares.
• Sony’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $0.36 versus a $0.28 consensus estimate and revenue of $17.45 billion, up 8.2% year over year.
• The stock traded near $22.52, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating and a $22.00 price target; institutional investors own 14.05% of the company.

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SONY - Get Free Report) insider Ravi Ahuja sold 15,580 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.71, for a total value of $353,821.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 22,096 shares in the company, valued at $501,800.16. This represents a 41.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Ravi Ahuja also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, July 6th, Ravi Ahuja sold 36,826 shares of Sony stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.08, for a total transaction of $776,292.08.

Sony Stock Performance

NYSE:SONY traded up $0.17 on Wednesday, reaching $22.52. 2,115,959 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,168,216. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market cap of $133.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.92. Sony Corporation has a 52 week low of $19.32 and a 52 week high of $30.34. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.51.

Sony (NYSE:SONY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Saturday, August 1st. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $17.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $42.84 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Sony Corporation will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sony by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 108,981,588 shares of the company's stock worth $2,789,929,000 after buying an additional 4,337,062 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in Sony during the first quarter worth about $39,998,000. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. purchased a new position in Sony during the fourth quarter worth about $47,989,000. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Sony by 165.4% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,742,402 shares of the company's stock worth $70,205,000 after acquiring an additional 1,709,003 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Sony by 337.6% in the 1st quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 1,949,592 shares of the company's stock worth $38,836,000 after acquiring an additional 1,504,035 shares during the last quarter. 14.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on SONY shares. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Sony in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sony from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Sony in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $22.00.

Trending Headlines about Sony

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlights faster profit growth, higher earnings forecasts and recurring entertainment revenue as reasons the recent rally could continue. Wall Street’s average price target implies approximately 29.8% potential upside, although the reliability of price targets remains uncertain. Sony Stock Gains 10.9% in a Week
• Positive Sentiment: Sony’s raised outlook and stronger expected profit growth improve the investment case, while its entertainment businesses provide recurring revenue streams. Is Sony Stock a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: A planned sensor venture with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing could improve Sony’s imaging technology and production scale, potentially strengthening its long-term image-sensor franchise. Sony’s TSMC Sensor Venture
• Neutral Sentiment: Sony launched a new FE 100-400mm super-telephoto lens and continues to expand its consumer electronics lineup. These products may support sales but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Sony Launches FE 100-400mm Lens
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation, currency movements, smartphone weakness, earthquake exposure and startup costs could limit returns from the sensor venture and challenge the next phase of the rally. Sony’s Imaging Growth Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Tsuyoshi Kodera sold 17,100 shares for approximately $388,512 to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. Because the sale was tax-related, it is a limited bearish signal, though it reduced his direct holdings by 26.47%. SEC Insider Filing

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.

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