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Q1-2015: Sony Corp reports 5.8 per cent top line, mobile communications segment disappoints
BENGALURU: Global behemoth Sony Corporation reported a growth of 5.8 per cent in its sales and operating revenue to JPY1.8909 billion (USD 17,920 million) for the quarter ended 30 June 2014 (Q1-2015) as compared to the year ago quarter’s (Q-2014) JPY 1,711.40 billion.
Note: (1) Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million.
(2) JPY = Japanese Yen
(3) 31 Jul 2014 02:40 UTC – 1 Aug 2014 02:44 UTC
JPY/INR close:0.59061 low:0.58542, high:0.59272
The company’s operating income before taxes went up by 50.6 per cent to JPY68.4 billion in Q1-2015 as compared to the JPY 45.4 billion in Q1-2014. Sony’s net income attributable to its stockholders in Q1-2015 increased over seven fold (7.6 times) to JPY 26.8 billion in Q1-2015 as compared to the JPY 3.1 billion reported for the quarter ended 30 June 2014.
One of the biggest disappointments for the company this quarter is the performance of its Mobile Communications (MC) segment which reported an operating loss of JPY2.7 billion as compared to an Op Inc of JPY12.6 billion in Q1-2014. (Please refer to Additional notes 1 and 2 below). The company attributes the loss primarily to an increase in marketing and R&D expenses which did not yield the expected increase in unit sales, primarily in the midrange handsets. For the full year, Sony has lowered unit sales forecast from 50 million units to 43 million units.
Of the nine segments that add to Sony’s numbers, major contributions to its bottomline in Q1-2015 were made by Financial Services (Operating Income or Op Inc of JPY 43.8 billion) followed by Imaging Products and Solutions (Op Inc JPY 17.4 billion) Devices (Op Inc JPY 12.5 billion), and Music (Op Inc JPY 11.4 billion). Of note is the turnaround of the company’s Game and Network Services (GNS) segment which returned an Op Inc of JPY 4.3 billion in Q1-2015 as compared to an operating loss reported in Q1-2014 of JPY 16.4 billion.
The company’s Home Entertainment & Sound (HE&S) segment reported improved Op Inc of JPY 7.7 billion from JPY 3.4 billion in Q1-2014. Sony’s Pictures segment also reported an improvement in its Op Inc in Q1-2015 to JPY 7.8 billion, which was more than double the JPY 3.7 billion in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
The recently realigned All Other segment reported operating loss of JPY 18.4 billion in Q1-2015 (JPY 16.9 billion in Q1-2014). Sales of the All Other segment decreased 33.8 per cent year-on-year (a 39 per cent decrease on a constant currency basis) to JPY 128.8 billion. Sony says this decrease was primarily due to a significant decrease year-on-year in unit sales of PCs reflecting Sony’s exit from the PC business. The operating loss of this segment increased primarily due to the recording of PC exit costs, partially offset by an improvement in equity in net income (loss) for Intertrust Technologies Corporation.
Additional notes:
(1) Sony realigned its business segments from the first quarter of the fiscal year ending 31 March 2015 (the current quarter) to reflect modifications to its organisational structure as of 1 April 2014, primarily repositioning the operations of the previously reported Game and Mobile Products & Communications (MP&C) segments.
(2) In connection with this realignment, the previously-reported operations of the network business which were included in All Other have been integrated with the previously-reported Game segment and are now reported as the Game & Network Services “G&NS”) segment. The previously reported Mobile Communications category which was included in the MP&C segment has been reclassified as the newly established Mobile Communications (MC) segment, while the other categories in the previously reported MP&C segment are now included in All Other. This includes the reclassification of the PC business into All Other.
(3) In addition, as of the current quarter, the power supply business, which was previously included in the Devices segment, has been integrated into All Other to reflect modifications Sony made to its organisational structure as of 1 June 2014.
(4) In connection with these realignments, the sales and operating revenue (sales) and operating income (loss) of each segment in the fiscal year ended 31 March 2014 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation of the fiscal year ending 31 March 2015.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
