Sony (NYSE:SONY) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold”

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sony (NYSE:SONY) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Sunday morning.

A number of other research firms have also commented on SONY. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Sony in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Sony from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Sony in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sony currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.00.

Sony Price Performance

SONY stock opened at $23.44 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $138.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.92, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $21.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Sony has a 12-month low of $19.32 and a 12-month high of $30.34.

Sony (NYSE:SONY) last posted its 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. The company had revenue of $17.45 billion during 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%. Sony’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $42.84 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Sony will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Sony

In related news, insider Tsuyoshi Kodera sold 17,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.72, for a total value of $388,512.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 47,508 shares in the company, valued at $1,079,381.76. This trade represents a 26.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Ravi Ahuja sold 15,580 shares of Sony stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.71, for a total transaction of $353,821.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 22,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $501,800.16. This trade represents a 41.35% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,350,065 shares of company stock worth $29,878,266. 7.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sony

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sony in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Sony during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised 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 last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP boosted its holdings in Sony by 4,218.5% in the fourth quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 1,112 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Sony in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 14.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sony News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Zacks Research raised Sony from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” reinforcing recent bullish sentiment. Jefferies also expects 2026 to be a breakout year for Sony, with Grand Theft Auto VI potentially driving PlayStation engagement and software sales. Zacks.com Jefferies on Sony and GTA VI
• Positive Sentiment: Solid recent results: Sony’s latest quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded analyst expectations, with revenue rising 8.2% year over year. The results provide support for the company’s current-year earnings outlook. Sony financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Potential PlayStation monetization: A report says Sony is considering advertising on PlayStation, which could create an additional recurring revenue stream if implemented without damaging the user experience. Sony PlayStation advertising report
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine corporate and product news: Sony Music appointed Stephanie Yu as general counsel, while reviews and discounts for Sony headphones and Bravia televisions offer limited near-term earnings significance. Sony Music legal appointment
• Negative Sentiment: Camera-sensor customer risk: OPPO reportedly may replace Sony image sensors with Samsung’s 200-megapixel sensors in future phones, raising concerns about competition and customer concentration in Sony’s imaging-sensor business. OPPO Sony sensor report
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and strategy concerns: Robert Adrian Stringer sold 545,547 shares and Ravi Ahuja sold 15,580 shares. Both transactions were reported as sales to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, reducing their signaling value but still creating a modest sentiment headwind. Separately, Sony’s push toward discless PlayStation consoles could concern investors about physical-game revenue and consumer reception. Sony insider sales PS5 discless strategy report

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.