Sony Group reported a strong quarter ending September 30, with its semiconductor unit reaching an operating profit of nearly $900 million, up almost 50 percent year-over-year as the company’s most profitable segment for the quarter. The music group was another bright spot, with sales up 21 percent to $3.51 billion, and operating income a healthy $749 million. Consumer electronics and gaming were softer sectors. But overall revenue of $20.14 billion far surpassed the expected $19.36 billion, prompting Sony to raise its forecast by 3 percent. The company also announced a repurchase plan for $648 million worth of stock.

Sony’s semiconductor group, called imaging, develops and manufactures advanced chips and other products “for a wide range of applications, from smartphones to automotive and industrial systems,” writes CNBC.

“Sony reported strong sales in its game and network services division, which houses its popular PlayStation home console brand, but saw profits fall 13.26 percent” for that unit during the quarter, reports CNBC, noting that it also trimmed its estimated U.S. tariff losses from $454 million to $325 million as a result of a reduction in duties on Japanese exports (from 25 percent to 15 percent), effective August.

In May, Sony had predicted a $700 million tariff hit to gaming revenue in fiscal year 2025, “given that most of its sales occur in the U.S.,” explains Engadget, adding that things were less bleak: “Sony sold more PlayStation 5s last quarter than it did a year ago (3.9 million compared to 3.8 million), boosting total PS5 sales to 84.2 million since launch.”

Variety says the music division’s strong performance is driven in no small part by the success of the “Demon Slayer” IP, which followed a successful streaming arc on Netflix with a theatrical trilogy, the first installment of which was “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.” The series originated in manga publishing.

The Wall Street Journal says Sony CFO Lin Tao “on Tuesday described Demon Slayer’s success in Hollywood as a major cultural achievement for Japanese entertainment content,” explaining that “Sony aims to continue turning original works into animation or live-action movies, distributing them widely at home and abroad in collaboration with partners, Tao said.”

In its financial report for fiscal Q2, Sony Group says it has partially spun-off the Sony Financial Group, previously a wholly-owned subsidiary in consumer financial services.

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