[PS3]Sony Stock Leaps 6.5%

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2006 was a roller-coaster year for Sony. The PS3 experienced a major European launch delay, Blu-Ray laser diode manufacturing issues caused a drastic cut in system availability, and a series of crime related to the PS3 launch in the U.S. garnered widespread news attention. At the same time, that next-gen console was yet another attempt at a big fat meal ticket, and now, it seems that train - as massive and weighed-down as it is - is finally starting to roll.

Sony is kicking off 2007 with some good financial news...finally. The company's shares closed yesterday at 5,550 yen (about $46), which is a 6.5% leap. The number is even more significant because it's the biggest stock increase in over a year for Sony, and leading investment bank Goldman Sachs have re-added the company's stock to their "buy" list. Japanese analyst Yuji Fujimori bumped up the 12-month-share-price estimate to 6,200 yen (about $52); that price was previously set at 5,150 yen ($43).

Apparently, though, Sony's gaming division wasn't solely responsible for the stock increase, nor was it the reason for Goldman Sachs' addition. Sony stock was elevated to "buy" due to Sony's good TV sales over the holiday season, and its cheap valuation. But even so, the electronics giant recently announced they had hit their goal of shipping 1 million PS3 units to the U.S. in 2006, which most people didn't believe would happen.

However, in the end, this is a darn good start to the year for Sony.

全球最大的遊戲機製造商SONY(6758-JP)(SNE-US)受到旗下PLAYSTATION3去年北美出貨量達到預期，且尚有淨利的刺激，士氣大振，今(9)日股價衝到今年開市以來最高，上漲6.5%，東京證券交易所收盤價報5550日元。
由於美國聖誕假期SONY電視熱賣，GOLDMAN,SACHS&CO.(高盛)也將SONY股票評等由「持平」提高至「買進」。

走過PLAYSTATION3生產供應不足，以及召回筆記型電腦瑕疵電池的低潮，SONY去年雖達成北美PLAYSTATION3出貨100萬台的目標，不過卻還是對股價有所影響，成長幅度是12年以來最小的。然而，昨日執行長HOWARDSTRINGER信心喊話：至2008年3月，淨利可達5%。

YASUDAASSETMANAGEMENT經理人HIROSHICHANO指出，「因為SONY去年都只有壞消息傳出，因此執行長的如強心針般的宣言以及高盛樂觀的評比，刺激了今日的漲勢。」

SONY股價去年上漲了5.8%，低於日經225指數6.9%漲勢。

SONY表示，將在3月出產600萬台PLAYSTATION3。PACIFICCRESTSECURITIES分析師EVANWILSON說，「從供給面的角度來看，一切都上了軌道，現在，就要看看是否需求量也會這麼多。」

東京電玩調查公司ENTERBRAIN昨天公佈，NINTENDO(7974-JP；任天堂)的WII去年***數字以2比1比例打敗PLAYSTATION3。NINTENDO自從12月2日推出WII以來，在日本共賣出98萬9118台；SONY則是在11月11日推出PLAYSTATION3，共賣出46萬6716台。

NINTENDO預估去年底共出產400萬台WII，但尚未公佈任何假期的***數據。發言人YUKATANEGASHIMA說，「我們還沒有決定什麼時候要公佈WII出貨量的確切數字。」

STRINGER昨日在美國消費電子大展上表示，SONY2006年的營運淨利達到3.9%。「我達成了我的承諾，我再怎樣也必須帶領公司達到訂下的目標。」

SONY的電子部門為全公司帶來2/3的***額，可望在今年3月為止的財政年達到4%的營運淨利。不過這項預估不包括召回筆記型電腦瑕疵電池所耗費的512億日元。

因為PLAYSTATION3出產計畫延宕、瑕疵電池召回事件所影響，SONY去年10月時，降低了淨收入預估數字至5年以來最低的800億日元。SONY***還好有強棒--液晶電視BRAVIA以及美國2006年票房第一的動畫影片支撐，不至太過難看。

SONY美國電子部門的總裁STANGLASGOW昨日表示，假期間SONY電子產品***簡直「強強滾」，為公司帶來兩位數的年成長比例。.