Sony Raises Annual Profit Outlook After Strong Q2 Results

Sony Group reported a 45 percent increase in second-quarter operating profit to 622.3 billion yen ($3.95 billion), exceeding market expectations. The company recorded revenue of 3.43 trillion yen for the period, prompting it to raise its annual operating income guidance by 15 percent to 1.87 trillion yen ($11.8 billion).

Growth was driven by a strategic shift toward content over hardware. The film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" grossed approximately $2.5 billion worldwide, while the game "Marvel's Wolverine" became the best-selling U.S. game in September. Additionally, streaming demand for Michael Jackson's music catalog surged fourfold following the release of the biopic "Michael."

Hardware performance showed mixed results. Sony sold 2.6 million PlayStation 5 units during the quarter, a decline from the 4 million units sold in the same period last year. However, the company expects the November 19 launch of "Grand Theft Auto VI" to benefit the games business. Sony also lifted forecasts for its music and chip divisions, though it noted that the AI boom has caused higher memory chip prices and global smartphone shipments have declined.