Improving Earnings Lead To Dividend Hike

Article Excerpt

SONY CORP. ADRs $48 (New York symbol SNE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $48.0 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) is starting to enjoy the benefits of its recent restructuring plan. It earned $3.51 per ADR in its fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, up sharply from $0.99 in fiscal 2007. (Each American Depository Receipt represents one common share.) Sales grew 26.2%, to $88.7 billion from $70.3 billion, thanks to growing demand for its flat-screen TV sets and PlayStation 3 video game console. Sony has ended its partnership with Samsung, which supplied it with flat-screen panels. Instead, it will buy 34% of a new flat-screen plant that Sharp is building. Production should begin in 2010. Sony now plans to increase its annual dividend rate by 60%, from about $0.25 per ADR to $0.40. That implies an annual yield of 0.8%. It also plans to pay a special dividend of $0.10 per ADR. Sony is a buy…