sony

SONY CORP. ADRs $26 (New York symbol SNE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $33.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield 0.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.sony.com) has also had to shut down two plants in Japan due to earthquake damage. These facilities make image sensors for smartphones. The company has also warned that slowing demand for high-end smartphones has hurt sales of these sensors. In addition, negative interest rates in Japan are hurting earnings at Sony’s banking and insurance operations. The company has now cut its operating profit forecast for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, by about 9% to $2.6 billion. Sony is a hold.

SONY CORP. ADRs $26 (New York symbol SNE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $33.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield 0.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.sony.com) has also had to shut down two plants in Japan due to earthquake damage. These facilities make image sensors for smartphones. The company has also warned that slowing demand for high-end smartphones has hurt sales of these sensors. In addition, negative interest rates in Japan are hurting earnings at Sony’s banking and insurance operations. The company has now cut its operating profit forecast for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, by about 9% to $2.6 billion. Sony is a hold.

FEDEX CORP., $163.55, New York symbol FDX, jumped 13% this week after it reported better-than-expected quarterly results. It also increased its full-year earnings forecast. In the third quarter of its 2016 fiscal year, which ended February 29, 2016, the company earned $692 million. That’s up 18.1% from $586 million a year earlier. Earnings per share gained 23.6%, to $2.51 from $2.03, on fewer shares outstanding. These figures exclude costs to settle several lawsuits and other unusual items. On that basis, the latest earnings beat the consensus estimate of $2.34 a share....

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HP INC., $12.61, New York symbol HPQ, took its current form on November 1, 2015, when the old Hewlett-Packard Co. split into two firms. HP Inc. focuses on personal computers and printers, while Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (see below) sells computing services and products, like servers and analytics software, to businesses and governments. Hewlett-Packard shareholders received one share of HP Inc. and one share of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise for each old share they held. Investors aren’t liable for capital gains taxes until they sell their new shares....

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND $12.34 (New York Exchange 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, 5.8%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.9%; Honda Motor, 1.9%; Softbank Corp., 1.8%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 1.8%; Mizuho Financial Group, 1.4%; KDDI Corp. (telecom), 1.4%; Takeda Pharmaceutical, 1.3%; Japan Tobacco, 1.3%; and Sony Corp., 1.2%.

Japan’s economy shrank 1.6% in the second quarter of 2015, mostly on lower consumer spending. The government raised the country’s sales tax to 8% from 5% on April 1, 2014, to raise funds to pay down debt. However, its ongoing stimulus package has only partly offset the resulting fall in consumer spending.

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ISHARES INDIA 50 ETF $27.86 (Nasdaq symbol INDY; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) is an ETF that invests in the 50 largest, most liquid Indian securities. The fund’s top holdings are Infosys (information technology), 7.9%; Housing Development Finance, 7.0%; ITC Ltd. (conglomerate), 6.6%; ICICI Bank, 5.7%; Reliance Industries (conglomerate), 5.5%; HDFC Bank, 4.9%; Tata Consultancy Services (information technology), 4.5%; Larsen & Toubro (conglomerate), 4.1%; Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, 3.3%; and Tata Motors, 2.6%. The ETF has a 0.93% expense ratio. The iShares India 50 ETF rose as high as $30 early this year in the wake of Narendra Modi’s May 2014 election as prime minister. However, it has since moved down to today’s price along with the slowing global economy. Modi has also faced difficulties getting reforms through the upper house of parliament, where he doesn’t hold a majority, These reforms include a bill to make it easier for the government to expropriate land for transportation, industrial and urbanization projects; a goods and services tax; more flexible labour laws; and the sale of state-owned assets....

SYMANTEC CORP. $19.95 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (650-527-8000;www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 684.2 million; Marketcap: $13.5 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%) continues to strengthen its fast-growing cyber security business. It’salso selling off its Veritas Technologies division. Corporations are spending more on cyber security following high-profile attacks on Sony, Target and Ashley Madison. Symantec is taking advantage of thisby hiring more programmers. It has also cancelled unprofitable contracts and simplified its product lines. These moves cut the company’s profits by 12.1% in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended July 3, 2015,to $275 million, or $0.40 a share, from $313 million,or $0.45. Sales fell 13.6%, to $1.50 billion from $1.74billion....

SYMANTEC CORP. $19.95 (Nasdaq symbol SYMC; TSINetwork Rating: Average)(650-527-8000;www.symantec.com; Shares outstanding: 684.2 million; Marketcap: $13.5 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%) continues to strengthen its fast-growing cyber security business. It’salso selling off its Veritas Technologies division.

Corporations are spending more on cyber security following high-profile attacks on Sony, Target and Ashley Madison. Symantec is taking advantage of thisby hiring more programmers. It has also cancelled unprofitable contracts and simplified its product lines.

These moves cut the company’s profits by 12.1% in its fiscal 2016 first quarter, which ended July 3, 2015,to $275 million, or $0.40 a share, from $313 million,or $0.45. Sales fell 13.6%, to $1.50 billion from $1.74billion.

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