Ravi Ahuja Sells 15,580 Shares of Sony (NYSE:SONY) Stock

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SONY) insider Ravi Ahuja sold 15,580 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.71, for a total transaction of $353,821.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 22,096 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,800.16. This trade represents a 41.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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 Price Performance

Sony stock traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $22.52. 2,115,959 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,168,216. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.25. Sony Corporation has a one year low of $19.32 and a one year high of $30.34. The stock has a market cap of $133.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $21.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.51.

Sony (NYSE:SONY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, August 1st. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $17.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.17 billion. Sony had a negative net margin of 2.00% and a positive return on equity of 13.06%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $42.84 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Sony Corporation will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sony

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Glenmede Investment Management LP raised its holdings in Sony by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Investment Management LP now owns 42,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,223,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Sony by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,097 shares of the company’s stock valued at $456,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc increased its position in Sony by 81.7% during the 3rd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,032 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its holdings in Sony by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 6,272 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunpointe LLC raised its holdings in Sony by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Sunpointe LLC now owns 9,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.05% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SONY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Sony in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Sony in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Sony from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.