TOKYO: Even James Bond and Spider-Man can't rescue Sony Corp, the beleaguered Japanese electronics maker.
In "Skyfall," actor Daniel Craig's 007 uses Sony's Xperia T smartphone, while Andrew Garfield's title character in "The Amazing Spider-Man" wields an Xperia X10 Mini Pro.
The two movies, released by Sony this year, have grossed more than $1.7 billion combined, compared with the company's $10 billion in total losses during the past four fiscal years.
Such blockbuster promotion notwithstanding, Sony says sales of its Bravia TVs, Cyber-shot cameras, PlayStation game consoles and Handycam video recorders may drop this fiscal year.
Hammered by declining TV demand, Sony, Panasonic and Sharp fell to 30-year lows in Tokyo trading this year after record fiscal-year losses totaling $19 billion.
"It doesn't look like a big product that can change the landscape for the Japanese electronics makers is arriving anytime soon," said Masahiro Ono, an analyst at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. in Tokyo.
"Their tasks will remain the same as this year: cutting costs and promoting reform." Once symbols of Japan's global dominance in consumer electronics, Sony, Panasonic and Sharp were among the nation's worst-performing companies in 2012.
Overtaken in market share by overseas rivals including South Korea's Samsung, the trio lost $15 billion in combined market capitalization this year amid declining sales and a strong yen.
CUTTING JOBS
A comeback in 2013 may depend on whether the Japanese companies can take strong measures including shedding some businesses, said Kota Ezawa, an analyst at Citigroup in Tokyo.
Sony, Sharp and Panasonic are eliminating more than 29,000 jobs, closing plants and selling assets to restore profit after failing to come up with hit products to challenge Apple and Samsung's mobile devices.
"Sony and Panasonic still have the chance to keep their pride," Ezawa said.
"They may have a sense of urgency that they need to change, but their business strategies aren't showing that."
Sony, which invented the Walkman music player in 1979 and introduced the first CD player, has posted four straight full- year net losses.
The Tokyo-based company is headed for a ninth year of losses from TVs after losing market share to Samsung, the world's largest maker of TVs and smartphones.
MATERIAL DOUBT
Sony, targeting a 20 billion-yen profit this fiscal year, fell to a 32-year low of 789 yen in Tokyo trading on Dec. 5 and has dropped 32% this year, the sixth-worst performer in Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which has gained 20%.
Shares of Panasonic, which posted a 772 billion-yen net loss last fiscal year, have dropped 23%. The company is projecting a 765 billion-yen loss in the year ending March 31.
indiatimes.com
In "Skyfall," actor Daniel Craig's 007 uses Sony's Xperia T smartphone, while Andrew Garfield's title character in "The Amazing Spider-Man" wields an Xperia X10 Mini Pro.
The two movies, released by Sony this year, have grossed more than $1.7 billion combined, compared with the company's $10 billion in total losses during the past four fiscal years.
Such blockbuster promotion notwithstanding, Sony says sales of its Bravia TVs, Cyber-shot cameras, PlayStation game consoles and Handycam video recorders may drop this fiscal year.
Hammered by declining TV demand, Sony, Panasonic and Sharp fell to 30-year lows in Tokyo trading this year after record fiscal-year losses totaling $19 billion.
"It doesn't look like a big product that can change the landscape for the Japanese electronics makers is arriving anytime soon," said Masahiro Ono, an analyst at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. in Tokyo.
"Their tasks will remain the same as this year: cutting costs and promoting reform." Once symbols of Japan's global dominance in consumer electronics, Sony, Panasonic and Sharp were among the nation's worst-performing companies in 2012.
Overtaken in market share by overseas rivals including South Korea's Samsung, the trio lost $15 billion in combined market capitalization this year amid declining sales and a strong yen.
CUTTING JOBS
A comeback in 2013 may depend on whether the Japanese companies can take strong measures including shedding some businesses, said Kota Ezawa, an analyst at Citigroup in Tokyo.
Sony, Sharp and Panasonic are eliminating more than 29,000 jobs, closing plants and selling assets to restore profit after failing to come up with hit products to challenge Apple and Samsung's mobile devices.
"Sony and Panasonic still have the chance to keep their pride," Ezawa said.
"They may have a sense of urgency that they need to change, but their business strategies aren't showing that."
Sony, which invented the Walkman music player in 1979 and introduced the first CD player, has posted four straight full- year net losses.
The Tokyo-based company is headed for a ninth year of losses from TVs after losing market share to Samsung, the world's largest maker of TVs and smartphones.
MATERIAL DOUBT
Sony, targeting a 20 billion-yen profit this fiscal year, fell to a 32-year low of 789 yen in Tokyo trading on Dec. 5 and has dropped 32% this year, the sixth-worst performer in Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which has gained 20%.
Shares of Panasonic, which posted a 772 billion-yen net loss last fiscal year, have dropped 23%. The company is projecting a 765 billion-yen loss in the year ending March 31.
indiatimes.com
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