SONY CORP. ADRs $21 - New York symbol SNE

SONY CORP. ADRs $21 (New York symbol SNE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $21.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.sony.com) has rejected a plan from Dan Loeb, an activist investor who owns 7% of the company’s shares. Loeb wants Sony to sell 15% to 20% of its entertainment division, which makes movies, TV shows and music recordings and accounts for 16% of Sony’s revenue.

The company feels that owning media content gives it an edge over other electronics makers.

Meanwhile, Sony’s revenue fell 9.8% in its fiscal 2014 first quarter, which ended June 30, 2013, to $17.3 billion from $19.2 billion a year earlier. That’s partly because the company sold its chemical operations in September 2012. Weak camera demand also hurt its revenue.

Sony earned $35 million, or $0.03 per ADR (each American Depositary Receipt represents one common share). However, that includes a $106-million gain on the sale of music publishing rights. Still, it’s a big improvement over the $312 million, or $0.31 per ADR, that Sony lost a year earlier.

The stock is up 88% since the start of 2013. However, at 47.7 times the company’s projected fiscal 2014 earnings of $0.44 per ADR, it’s vulnerable to a sudden setback if Sony’s earnings growth stalls.

Sony is a hold.

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