Sony (NYSE:SONY) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Sony (NYSE:SONY) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Sony in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sony from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Sony in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.00.

Sony Price Performance

NYSE SONY opened at $22.41 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.50. Sony has a 52-week low of $19.32 and a 52-week high of $30.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market cap of $132.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.14, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.92.

Sony (NYSE:SONY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, August 1st. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $17.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.17 billion. Sony had a negative net margin of 2.00% and a positive return on equity of 13.06%. The business’s revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $42.84 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Sony will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Sony

In other news, insider Ravi Ahuja sold 36,826 shares of Sony stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.08, for a total value of $776,292.08. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 58,786 shares in the company, valued at $1,239,208.88. This trade represents a 38.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Kenichiro Yoshida sold 400,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.61, for a total transaction of $9,044,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 661,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,959,115.15. This represents a 37.68% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 804,518 shares of company stock worth $17,608,914. 7.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sony

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Sony by 422.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,908 shares of the company’s stock valued at $421,000 after acquiring an additional 16,094 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Sony by 26.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 178,889 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,542,000 after acquiring an additional 37,677 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Sony by 23.4% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 22,013 shares of the company’s stock valued at $573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,172 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in Sony by 24.6% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 16,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 3,255 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new position in Sony in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,058,000. 14.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sony News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Sony this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Spider-Man blockbuster supports Pictures: Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day surpassed $1 billion globally, becoming the fourth billion-dollar movie of 2026. The milestone reinforces the earnings potential of Sony Pictures’ major franchises and recurring entertainment businesses. Hollywood is cranking out billion-dollar movies again
• Positive Sentiment: Improving earnings outlook: Sony’s latest quarterly results exceeded consensus estimates for earnings and revenue, with revenue up 8.2% year over year. Analysts have highlighted faster profit growth, raised forecasts and approximately 30% potential upside from the average price target, helping drive recent investor optimism. Sony Stock Gains 10.9% in a Week
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 gaming catalyst: Jefferies said the expected launch of Grand Theft Auto VI could make 2026 a breakout year for Sony, potentially benefiting PlayStation engagement, software sales and related network revenue. Sony’s year to shine with GTA 6 on the way
• Positive Sentiment: Sensor expansion potential: A planned venture with TSMC could improve scale and technology in Sony’s image-sensor business, supporting longer-term semiconductor growth. Sony’s TSMC Sensor Venture
• Neutral Sentiment: Limited near-term impact: Sony announced product, talent and corporate updates, including a new telephoto lens and leadership changes at Sony Music. These developments support the broader brand but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: Risks remain: Analysts cited valuation, currency, cash-flow, earthquake and execution risks, along with smartphone weakness and costs associated with the sensor venture. Two insiders also sold shares to cover tax withholding on vested awards; the stated reason reduces the significance, but the transactions remain a modest sentiment headwind. Sony Insider Sells Shares

Sony Company Profile

Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, Sony has grown from an electronics maker into a diversified global company with operations spanning consumer electronics, entertainment, gaming, semiconductors and financial services. The company’s shares trade in Japan and its American Depositary Receipts trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SONY.

Sony’s primary businesses include Electronics Products & Solutions, which covers televisions, audio equipment, digital cameras and professional broadcast systems; Game & Network Services, anchored by the PlayStation platform, consoles, software and online services; Music and Pictures, through Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, producing, distributing and licensing recorded music, film and television content; Imaging & Sensing Solutions, which develops CMOS image sensors and other semiconductor components; and Financial Services, offering life insurance, banking and other financial products in Japan.