Sony Could Invest in Panel-Making
To reach a targeted surge in flat-panel television sales, Sony Corp. (SNE) may invest in future liquid-crystal-display panel production lines as part of its joint venture with Samsung Electronics Co. if the demand warrants it, a top executive said.
Sony Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the company expects panel supply to be tight this year at its television operations, although he expects to meet Sony’s own forecast for a 60 percent sales increase to 25 million units in the fiscal year ending March 2011.
After two straight years in the red, dragged down by heavy restructuring and losses at its television and videogame units, Sony is forecasting a return to profit during this fiscal year. It is also looking at new products, including a device similar to Apple (AAPL) Inc.’s iPad tablet computer, according to Mr. Oneda, who is retiring from Sony in June after 41 years at the company.
