Sony Corp. Chief Executive Howard Stringer speaks at a news conference in September. AP PHOTO

Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the fiscal second quarter totaled ¥1.7 billion, dwindling from ¥28.5 billion the same period the previous year.

An extra cost of ¥51 billion related to a global recall of 9.6 million Sony laptop batteries was a major factor behind the sharp drop in profit.

Almost every major laptop maker in the world, including Dell Inc., Apple Computer Inc. and Lenovo, has announced recalls of Sony lithium-ion batteries that could overheat and burst into flames.

The recall -- which has tarnished Sony's brand image as a longtime maker of icon products such as the Walkman and PlayStation -- offset the lift Sony's books got from an 8 percent rise in July-September sales to ¥1.85 trillion from ¥1.7 trillion a year earlier.

Sony reported a ¥43.5 billion operating loss in its gaming division because of charges related to the preparation for the next-generation PlayStation 3 console, set to go on sale in the United States and Japan later this month.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 4, 2006
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