(Nov 11): Sony Group Corp shares are forecast to gain as the Japanese entertainment and electronics company gets a boost from recent hit titles including the anime movie Demon Slayer.
Consensus rating by sell-side analysts on Sony climbed to the highest level in almost a year, after Wolfe Research lifted its recommendation to outperform. The average 12-month target price by 24 analysts is ¥4,893, implying a 14% rise from Monday’s (Nov 10) close, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Shares have risen more than 30% this year, outpacing the broader Topix. After tumbling in early April on tariff concerns, shares rebounded sharply as the company’s upgraded guidance eased concerns.
The average estimate of 12 analysts for its second quarter operating profit is ¥392.2 billion, roughly in line with last year’s results excluding the financial business, which has since been spun off. The company is set to release second-quarter results on Tuesday.
“We expect profits to remain high, particularly in games, music and pictures, and the anime business,” wrote Nomura Securities analyst Yu Okazaki in a note. Nomura raised its operating profit forecast for the year ending in March 2026 to reflect a weaker yen assumption and contributions from the blockbuster Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.
Okazaki acknowledges the risk of a decline in the company’s image sensor market share due to US tariffs but still expects the firm to mitigate the impact by reviewing its capital spending plans. Sony said in August it sees a tariff impact of around ¥70 billion.
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