Sony Group Projects Record Net Profit for FY 2026

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)–Sony Group Corp. said Friday it expects to post a record group net profit for fiscal 2026, which began in April, on the back of its robust game and other entertainment operations. The Japanese technology and entertainment conglomerate’s net profit is forecast at 1.16 trillion yen, up 12.5 pct from fiscal 2025. The company’s core game business is enjoying robust software sales, and its film business is also underpinning its earnings. Additionally, the firm’s semiconductor division is riding on solid demand for image sensors for digital cameras. Sony forecasts an operating profit of 1.6 trillion yen for the current fiscal year, up 10.5 pct. Consolidated sales are forecast to drop 1.4 pct to 12.3 trillion yen, however. Sales of its PlayStation 5 video game console are expected to fall by volume amid soaring memory prices. “We have secured a necessary volume of semiconductor memories for 2026,” Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki said in an online briefing. The company has no plans to raise PS5 prices again after implementing a hike just in April, he said. For fiscal 2025, which ended this March, Sony Group posted consolidated sales of 12,479.6 billion yen, up 3.7 pct from the preceding year, buoyed by the popularity of the latest anime film from the “Demon Slayer” franchise, distributed by subsidiary Aniplex Inc. Operating profit also rose, by 13.4 pct to 1,447.5 billion yen. Net profit fell 3.4 pct to 1,030.8 billion yen, however, due in part to a loss of 44.9 billion yen related to the cancellation of a plan to release an electric vehicle from Sony Honda Mobility Inc., a joint venture with Honda Motor Co. The company’s latest earnings report uses the equity method for financial operations following the spinoff of Sony Financial Group Inc. last October. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]