Sony expects profit to quadruple this year

Tokyo

KAZUO Hirai, leading Sony Corp on a comeback after years of losses, is giving himself plenty of room to deliver more good news in the future.

The chief executive officer says operating profit will more than quadruple to 320 billion yen (S$3.5 billion) this fiscal year. That forecast given on Thursday is about 20 per cent less than analysts projected as Sony tries to shake its years-long reputation for disappointing investors.

Mr Hirai is cutting costs and focusing on profitability in businesses where Sony has an advantage. That approach, coupled with chief financial officer Kenichiro Yoshida's emphasis on accoun…