sony

SONY GROUP CORP. ADRs $115 is a hold. The Japanese conglomerate (New York symbol SONY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $149.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.1; Dividend yield: 0.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.sony.net) recently paid an undisclosed sum for U.K.-based video game developer Firesprite Ltd....

The global Covid-19 pandemic has created significant supply/demand imbalances in the global semiconductor industry. However, the current disruption should not obscure the strong underlying growth trend as demand for technologically advanced products such as self-driving technology, 5G mobile applications, the Internet of things (IoT), and cloud computing fuel further growth....

Pandemic lockdowns gave the video game industry a big boost. Its long-term outlook is also positive as publishers shift from selling computer games for a one-time upfront fee to making level-one games free. That hurts short-term sales, but at the same time boosts long-term revenue as players increasingly purchase in-game digital goods such as weapons, costumes, enhanced avatars and access to higher levels.


Meanwhile, Electronic Arts is acquiring a mobile games leader to quickly gain a big share of the fastest-growing segment of the videogame market....

Long-time readers know that we keep you informed of important news about the stocks we cover. That means highlighting developments that promise to brighten their outlook. Here are two that stand out as buys this month:


ELI LILLY & CO. $201.26 is a buy. The stock (New York symbol LLY; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average) (www.lilly.com; Shares outstanding: 956.5 million; Market cap: $192.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.7%) soared to new highs recently after it announced the latest Phase II results for its Alzheimer’s drug donanemab....

The Japanese economy ranks among the top 5 in the world and hosts some of the most-profitable global corporations. The economy is, however, hamstrung by a declining and rapidly aging population. Still, an older population also presents opportunities, and Japanese companies are already coming up with innovative and technology-driven aids for the elderly....

Most major global stock markets have recovered from the March 2020 declines they experienced with the outbreak of COVID-19. We like the prospects of the best of them going forward—and one way to profit, while also cutting your risk, is to invest in ETFs. Here’s a look at two international funds that we believe are well-suited for your new buying.


ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $58.76 (New York symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan Index.


The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 4.0%; Sony Corp., 2.4%; Softbank, 2.1%; Keyence (sensors), 2.2%; Nintendo, 1.3%; Takeda Pharma, 1.8%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 1.5%; KDDI (telecom), 1.4%; Daiichi Sankyo (pharmaceuticals), 1.6%; and Recruit Holdings (human resources), 1.3%....

All of the major global stock markets are down in the wake of COVID-19’s spread. But we think the worst is over for many stocks, and one way to profit, while at the same time cutting your risk, is to invest in ETFs.


Here’s a look at two international funds that we believe are well-suited for your new buying.


ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $56.89 (New York symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that tries to match the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Japan Index.


The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 4.0%; Sony Corp., 2.4%; Keyence (sensors), 2.2%; Softbank, 2.1%; Takeda Pharma, 1.8%; Daiichi Sankyo (pharmaceuticals), 1.6%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 1.5%; KDDI (telecom), 1.4%; Nintendo, 1.3%; and Recruit Holdings (human resources), 1.3%....

The best penny stocks can be found, but you should approach them with a healthy dose of skepticism.

SONY CORP. ADRs $62 is still a hold. The Japanese conglomerate (New York symbol SNE; Manufacturing sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $80.6 billion; Dividend yield: 0.6%; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; www.sony.net) has created a new subsidiary called Sony Electronics Corporation to hold three of its businesses—Imaging Products and Solutions, Home Entertainment and Voice, and Mobile Communication.


The reorganization seems to be in response to reports that activist investor Daniel Loeb is taking advantage of Sony’s weaker stock price during the COVID-19 outbreak to increase his stake in the company.


At last report, he held about 2% of Sony, and still wants the company to separate its entertainment businesses (including Columbia Studios and Sony Music) from its electronic-manufacturing operations....

A: Activision Blizzard Inc. $54.43, symbol ATVI on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 769.2 million; Market cap: $43.4 billion; www.activisionblizzard.com), is a video game company founded in July 2008 through the merger of Activision, Inc....