Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For FY '23, consolidated sales reached JPY 13,020.8 billion, a record high, with operating income at JPY 1,208.8 billion and net income at JPY 970.6 billion [76] - The forecast for FY '24 includes sales of JPY 2,310 billion, operating income of JPY 1,275 billion, and net income of JPY 925 billion [73] - Operating cash flow is expected to increase by 19% year-on-year to JPY 1,400 billion [73] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The G&NS segment saw a 17% year-on-year sales increase to JPY 4,267.7 billion, with operating income rising to JPY 290.2 billion [78] - The Music segment's sales increased by 17% year-on-year to JPY 1,690 billion, with operating income at JPY 301.7 billion [85] - The Pictures segment's sales rose by 9% year-on-year to JPY 1,493.1 billion, while operating income remained flat at JPY 177 billion [89] - The I&SS segment's sales increased by 14% year-on-year to JPY 1,602.7 billion, but operating income decreased to JPY 103.5 billion [96] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Monthly active users on the PlayStation platform reached 180 million accounts, a 9% increase year-on-year, with total playtime increasing by 15% [81] - The smartphone market is expected to recover slowly, impacting the I&SS segment, but demand for larger die-sized sensors is anticipated to drive growth [52][97] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The fifth midrange plan focuses on maximizing synergies across the group and enhancing corporate value through continuous growth [111] - The strategy includes expanding the PlayStation console base and enhancing first-party software titles [115] - The company aims to grow faster than the market in the Music segment by increasing monetization opportunities and expanding into emerging markets [116] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the uncertain and volatile business environment but aims to strengthen the earnings base and improve investment efficiency [112] - The company expects to harvest the benefits of investments made in the previous midrange plan during the current period [25] Other Important Information - The company plans to maintain a total payout ratio of 40% by FY '26, with a focus on balanced capital allocation and strengthening returns to shareholders [55][57] - The impact of foreign exchange rates resulted in a positive JPY 140 billion effect on income for FY '23 [51] Q&A Session All Questions and Answers Question: What is the company's view on enhancing enterprise value and capital allocation? - The company plans to reduce investment and increase returns to shareholders compared to the previous midrange plan, focusing on sustainable enterprise value growth [22][24] Question: How does the company view the impact of the weaker yen on overseas M&A? - The company believes that while the weaker yen presents challenges, it does not significantly hinder overseas M&A opportunities as returns are evaluated against hurdle rates [34] Question: What is the expected timeline for returns on studio acquisitions? - The company expects returns from studio acquisitions to be realized over the next three to five years, with a focus on effective portfolio management [39][59] Question: What is the forecast for the image sensor business amid a shrinking smartphone market? - The company anticipates growth in the image sensor business due to increased demand for larger die-sized sensors, despite a slow recovery in the smartphone market [52][97]

Financial Performance - For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, Sony Group Corporation reported total sales and financial services revenue of ¥13,020,768 million, an increase of ¥2,046,395 million or 18.6% compared to the previous year[8]. - The net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders for the fiscal year was ¥970,573 million, a decrease of ¥34,704 million or 3.5% from the prior year[8]. - Operating income for the fiscal year was reported at ¥1,208,831 million, a decline of ¥93,558 million or 7.8% from the previous year[8]. - Total sales and financial services revenue increased by 14.5% from ¥3,040,845 million in Q1 2023 to ¥3,480,966 million in Q1 2024, with a change of ¥440,121 million[10]. - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders increased by 34.1% from ¥140,981 million in Q1 2023 to ¥189,005 million in Q1 2024, a change of ¥48,024 million[10]. - For the fiscal year 2024, net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders was ¥1,005,277 million, up from ¥970,573 million in 2023, indicating a growth of approximately 3.6%[28]. - Operating income for the fiscal year 2024 was ¥1,035,271 million, compared to ¥983,321 million in 2023, reflecting an increase of about 5.3%[28]. Assets and Liabilities - Total assets as of March 31, 2024, reached ¥34,107,490 million, reflecting an increase of ¥2,953,395 million or 9.5% from the previous year[7]. - Sony's total liabilities rose to ¥26,351,385 million, an increase of ¥1,854,440 million or 7.6% compared to March 31, 2023[7]. - The company's retained earnings increased to ¥6,002,407 million, up by ¥909,965 million or 17.9% year-over-year[7]. - Sony's total equity increased to ¥7,756,105 million, up by ¥1,098,955 million or 16.5% year-over-year[7]. Cash Flow - Cash flows from operating activities improved dramatically, increasing from ¥314,691 million in FY 2023 to ¥1,373,213 million in FY 2024[13]. - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of FY 2024 were ¥1,907,113 million, up from ¥1,480,900 million at the end of FY 2023, reflecting a net increase of ¥426,213 million[14]. - The company reported a net cash used in investing activities of ¥818,886 million for the fiscal year 2024, compared to ¥1,052,664 million in 2023, indicating a decrease in cash outflow[30]. - The net cash provided by financing activities for the fiscal year 2024 was ¥84,300 million, a decrease from ¥261,969 million in 2023, indicating a reduction in financing inflows[30]. Segment Performance - Game & Network Services segment saw a revenue increase of ¥634,461 million, totaling ¥4,172,994 million in 2024, up from ¥3,538,533 million in 2023, a growth of about 17.9%[15]. - Financial Services segment revenue surged by ¥882,199 million, reaching ¥1,760,731 million in 2024, compared to ¥878,532 million in 2023, marking an increase of over 100%[15]. - Digital Software and Add-on Content within the Game & Network Services segment increased by ¥411,541 million, totaling ¥1,934,586 million in 2024, compared to ¥1,523,045 million in 2023, a growth of about 27%[24]. - Recorded Music - Streaming revenue in the Music segment increased by ¥110,585 million, reaching ¥709,453 million in 2024, compared to ¥598,868 million in 2023, an increase of approximately 18.5%[24]. - Sales in the Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment increased by 200.6 billion yen (14%) year-on-year to 1 trillion 602.7 billion yen, driven by higher sales of image sensors for mobile products[94]. Future Outlook - The company plans to continue expanding its market presence and investing in new technologies for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025[4]. - For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, consolidated sales are forecasted to decrease by 5.5% to 12,310 billion yen[67]. - Operating income is expected to increase by 5.5% to 1,275 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025[67]. - Net cash provided by operating activities is expected to increase by 18.9% to 1,400 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025[67]. Shareholder Returns - The company declared dividends of ¥98,685 million in FY 2024, compared to ¥86,635 million in FY 2023, reflecting an increase of 13.5%[14]. - Sony's total dividend per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, is 85 Yen, an increase from 75 Yen in the previous year[114]. - Sony plans to repurchase up to 30 million shares at a maximum total purchase price of ¥250 billion, effective from May 15, 2024, to May 14, 2025[40]. - A stock split will occur on October 1, 2024, with each share split into five shares, increasing the total number of issued shares from approximately 4.99 billion to 6.24 billion[42][43].

Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call February 14, 2024 2:00 AM ET Company Participants Hiroki Totoki - President, COO & CFO Sadahiko Hayakawa - General Manager, Finance Department Conference Call Participants Kenji Yasui - UBS Kentaro Tsutsumi - Nikkei Shimbun Newspaper Yu Okazaki - Nomura Securities Ryosuke Katsura - SMBC Nikko Securities Junya Ayada - JPMorgan Chase & Co. Yasuo Nakane - Mizuho Securities Co. Masahiro Ono - Morgan Stanley Unidentified Company Representative W ...

Financial Performance - For the three months ended December 31, 2023, consolidated Adjusted OIBDA increased to ¥628.3 billion, up from ¥561.5 billion in the same period last year, representing a growth of 11.9%[6] - The nine months ended December 31, 2023, saw a consolidated Adjusted OIBDA of ¥1,450.3 billion, a decrease of 5.1% from ¥1,527.5 billion in the previous year[6] - The forecast for consolidated sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, has been revised to ¥12,300 billion, a decrease of ¥100 billion or 0.8% from the previous forecast[8] - Operating income for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, is expected to be ¥1,180 billion, an increase of ¥10 billion or 0.9% from the November forecast[8] - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders is projected to be ¥920 billion, reflecting an increase of ¥40 billion or 4.5% from the previous forecast[8] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal year is expected to be ¥1,770 billion, a decrease of ¥15 billion from the previous forecast[8] - Adjusted OIBDA for the three months ended December 31, 2023, was ¥628.3 billion, an increase of 11.9% from ¥561.5 billion in the same period of 2022[29] - Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2023, reached ¥605.0 billion, up from ¥529.5 billion in 2022, reflecting a growth of 14.3%[31] - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders for the three months ended December 31, 2023, was ¥363.9 billion, compared to ¥321.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 13.2%[31] - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, was ¥1,005.3 billion[42] - Adjusted EBITDA for the same fiscal year was ¥1,797.6 billion[42] Segment Performance - The Game & Network Services segment is expected to see sales of ¥4,150 billion, down from the November forecast of ¥4,360 billion, primarily due to lower hardware sales[14] - The Music segment's sales forecast has been increased to ¥1,570 billion, up from ¥1,560 billion, driven by favorable foreign exchange rates[14] - Financial services revenue is expected to rise to ¥1,300 billion, an increase from the November forecast of ¥1,210 billion, due to higher net gains on investments[14] - The Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment's sales are projected to remain unchanged from the November forecast, with expected sales of ¥1,590 billion[19] - The Game & Network Services segment reported an operating income of ¥86.1 billion for the three months ended December 31, 2023, down from ¥116.2 billion in 2022, a decline of 26%[29] - The Music segment's operating income increased to ¥76.1 billion in Q3 2023, compared to ¥63.0 billion in Q3 2022, representing a growth of 20.5%[29] - Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment's Adjusted OIBDA rose to ¥163.7 billion in Q3 2023, up 21.5% from ¥134.7 billion in Q3 2022[29] - The Financial Services segment's Adjusted OIBDA increased to ¥84.3 billion in Q3 2023, up from ¥53.8 billion in Q3 2022, a growth of 56.7%[29] - The Game & Network Services segment reported a total revenue of ¥1,444,427 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, up by ¥197,878 million or 15.9% from ¥1,246,549 million in 2022[63] - The Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment achieved an operating income of ¥99,715 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, an increase of ¥14,864 million or 17.5% compared to ¥84,851 million in 2022[65] - The Financial Services segment saw a substantial increase in customers' revenue, reaching ¥309,435 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, up by ¥287,314 million or 129.9% from ¥22,121 million in 2022[63] Assets and Liabilities - Total current assets increased by ¥1,646.4 billion from March 31, 2023, to December 31, 2023, reaching ¥7,368.9 billion[52] - Total assets as of December 31, 2023, were ¥33,643.6 billion, an increase of ¥2,489.5 billion from March 31, 2023[54] - Total liabilities increased by ¥1,677.9 billion from March 31, 2023, to December 31, 2023, totaling ¥26,174.9 billion[54] - Sony's retained earnings rose by ¥682.9 billion from March 31, 2023, to December 31, 2023, reaching ¥5,775.4 billion[54] - Cash and cash equivalents decreased from ¥1,480.9 billion on March 31, 2023, to ¥2,019.1 billion on December 31, 2023, reflecting a change of ¥538.2 billion[52] - Total current liabilities rose from ¥5,290,837 million in March 2022 to ¥5,855,511 million in March 2023, an increase of about 10.7%[76] - Long-term debt increased from ¥470,498 million in March 2022 to ¥692,552 million in March 2023, a rise of about 47.0%[76] - Total liabilities increased from ¥19,053,619 million in March 2022 to ¥19,411,922 million in March 2023, reflecting a growth of about 1.9%[76] Cash Flow and Dividends - Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months ended December 31, 2023, was ¥931,958 million, a significant increase from a net cash used of ¥81,623 million in the same period of 2022[61] - Cash flows from operating activities improved significantly, with net cash provided increasing from ¥(81,623) million in 2022 to ¥931,958 million in 2023[79] - The company declared dividends of ¥98,685 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2023, compared to ¥86,635 million in the same period of 2022, reflecting an increase of approximately 13.9%[62] - Dividends paid increased from ¥86,384 million in 2022 to ¥98,424 million in 2023, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders[80] Future Outlook and Strategic Changes - Sony expects to record approximately 20 billion yen as operating income for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, following the transfer of shares of Sony Payment Services Inc.[87] - Sony has commenced preparations for a partial spin-off of Sony Financial Group Inc., which operates the Financial Services business, with plans for a share listing[88] - The Financial Services business will be presented separately as a discontinued operation prior to the execution of the spin-off, in accordance with IFRS 5[89] - The effect of the spin-off on Sony's results of operations and financial positions has not yet been determined[89] - Sony adopted IFRS 17 "Insurance Contracts" effective April 1, 2023, which will impact the recognition and measurement of insurance contracts going forward[81] Shareholder Information - Basic net income per share attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders for the three months ended December 31, 2023, was ¥295.67, an increase of ¥35.39 or 13.5% from the previous year[55] - The weighted-average shares outstanding for diluted EPS computation for the three months ended December 31, 2023, was 1,234,358 thousand shares, a decrease from 1,238,413 thousand shares in the same period of 2022[84] - The weighted-average shares outstanding for basic EPS computation for the nine months ended December 31, 2023, was 1,232,879 thousand shares, a decrease from 1,236,176 thousand shares in the same period of 2022[84] - The effect of dilutive securities for the nine months ended December 31, 2023, included 3,922 thousand shares from stock options and other, compared to 3,632 thousand shares in the same period of 2022[84]

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549 FORM 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the month of November 2023 Commission File Number: 001-06439 SONY GROUP CORPORATION (Translation of registrant's name into English) 1-7-1 KONAN, MINATO-KU, TOKYO, 108-0075, JAPAN (Address of principal executive offices) The registrant files annual reports under cover of Form 20-F. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files ...

Call Start: 03:00 January 1, 0000 4:13 AM ET Company Participants Conference Call Participants Unidentified Company Representative I would like to first introduce the speakers today, President, COO and CFO, Hiroki Totoki; and Senior Vice President in charge of the Corporate Planning Group DE&I promotion, also support Financial Service and Entertainment segment, Naomi Matsuoka; and then Senior Vice President in charge of Finance and IR, Sadahiko Hayakawa. So those 3 will present the Q1 FY 2023 consolidated f ...

307.0 364.9 253.0 +57.9 +2.1 +12.4 +5.6 -84.7 -34.7 -9.0 -3.6 (Reference) Q1 FY22 (IFRS 4) Q1 FY22 (IFRS 17) Financial Services Pictures I&SS G&NS ET&S Music Other* Q1 FY23 Impact of IFRS 17 Adoption (Financial Services) Significant decrease in OI at Sony Life ·(－) Recording of profit resulting from changes in interest rates related to variable life insurance in Q1 FY22 ·(－) Recording of gain from the sale of real estate in Q1 FY22 * Other: All other, corporate and elimination 2 | --- | --- | --- | |------- ...

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549 FORM 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the month of AUGUST 2023 Commission File Number: 001-06439 SONY GROUP CORPORATION (Translation of registrant's name into English) 1-7-1 KONAN, MINATO-KU, TOKYO, 108-0075, JAPAN (Address of principal executive offices) The registrant files annual reports under cover of Form 20-F. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or ...

Financial Performance - For the three months ended June 30, 2023, total sales and financial services revenue increased by 32.9% to ¥2,963,652 million, compared to ¥2,229,760 million in the same period of 2022[11]. - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders for the same period decreased by 16.7% to ¥217,545 million, down from ¥261,094 million in the prior year[11]. - Operating income for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was ¥253,042 million, a decrease of 30.7% from ¥364,865 million in the same period of 2022[11]. - The company reported a total comprehensive income of ¥445,459 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to ¥439,546 million for the same period in 2022, reflecting a slight increase of approximately 1.0%[16]. - The company declared dividends of ¥49,380 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to ¥43,295 million in the same period of 2022, representing an increase of approximately 14.5%[17]. - The net income for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was ¥217,942 million, compared to ¥261,204 million for the same period in 2022, indicating a decrease of about 16.5%[16]. - The company reported a significant increase in other financial services revenue, which rose to ¥536,359 million, up from ¥78,153 million, marking a growth of 586.5%[11]. Assets and Liabilities - The total assets as of June 30, 2023, reached ¥32,860,017 million, reflecting an increase of 5.5% from ¥31,154,095 million as of March 31, 2023[9]. - Current liabilities increased by 6.8% to ¥9,954,419 million as of June 30, 2023, compared to ¥9,318,409 million as of March 31, 2023[9]. - Sony's cash and cash equivalents increased by 3.5% to ¥1,532,099 million as of June 30, 2023, compared to ¥1,480,900 million as of March 31, 2023[8]. - The company’s equity attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders increased by 6.1% to ¥7,002,988 million as of June 30, 2023, compared to ¥6,598,537 million as of March 31, 2023[9]. - Total current assets for Sony without Financial Services increased to ¥5,096,511 million as of June 30, 2023, up from ¥4,032,200 million as of April 1, 2022, representing a growth of approximately 26.4%[25]. - Long-term debt increased to ¥1,807,171, up from ¥1,767,696, indicating a growth of 2.2%[26]. - Total non-current liabilities amounted to ¥15,827,020, reflecting a growth of 4.3% year-over-year[26]. Segment Performance - Game & Network Services segment reported a revenue increase of ¥166,542 million, totaling ¥755,003 million in Q2 2023, up from ¥588,461 million in Q2 2022, a growth of 28.3%[22]. - Financial Services segment saw a significant revenue increase of ¥465,386 million, reaching ¥679,109 million in Q2 2023, compared to ¥213,723 million in Q2 2022, marking a growth of 218.5%[22]. - The Music segment's operating income increased by ¥12,407 million, totaling ¥73,380 million in Q2 2023, compared to ¥60,973 million in Q2 2022, reflecting a growth of 20.3%[20]. - The Pictures segment reported a decline in revenue of ¥21,069 million, totaling ¥320,178 million in Q2 2023, down from ¥341,247 million in Q2 2022, a decrease of 6.2%[22]. - The total operating income for the Financial Services segment decreased by ¥84,694 million, resulting in ¥54,514 million in Q2 2023, down from ¥139,208 million in Q2 2022, a decline of 60.8%[20]. Cash Flow and Investments - Cash flows from operating activities for the three months ended June 30, 2023, showed a net cash used of ¥12,669 million, a significant improvement from ¥430,018 million used in the same period of 2022[16]. - Payments for property, plant, and equipment and other intangible assets for the three months ended June 30, 2023, were ¥130,501 million, an increase from ¥106,968 million in the same period of 2022, reflecting a growth of approximately 22.0%[17]. - The net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was ¥213,867 million, a significant turnaround from the net cash used of ¥29,977 million in the same period of 2022[17]. - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period on June 30, 2023, were ¥1,532,099 million, up from ¥1,371,867 million at the end of the previous fiscal year, marking an increase of about 11.7%[17]. Future Outlook - The company anticipates continued growth in financial services revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, driven by strong performance in insurance and other financial services[4]. - The forecast for consolidated sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, has been revised to ¥12,200 billion, an increase of ¥700 billion or 6.1% from the previous forecast[42]. - Financial Services revenue is forecasted to increase to ¥1,320 billion, primarily due to net gains on investments at Sony Life Insurance[48]. - The Pictures segment is expected to see lower sales due to strikes affecting theatrical releases, with sales forecasted at ¥1,470 billion[48]. - The company emphasizes that actual results may differ materially from forecasts due to various uncertainties[57].

Financial Performance - Sony's total consolidated sales to external customers increased from ¥9,921,513 million in fiscal year 2022 to ¥11,539,837 million in fiscal year 2023, representing a growth of approximately 16.3%[165]. - Sales in the United States rose significantly from ¥2,766,021 million in 2022 to ¥3,401,402 million in 2023, marking an increase of about 22.9%[165]. - Sales in Europe also saw growth, increasing from ¥1,870,091 million in 2022 to ¥2,190,311 million in 2023, which is an increase of approximately 17.1%[165]. - The Asia-Pacific region experienced a notable increase in sales from ¥1,149,261 million in 2022 to ¥1,563,414 million in 2023, reflecting a growth of around 36.0%[165]. - For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, Sony's sales increased by ¥1,618.3 billion year-on-year to ¥11,539.8 billion, driven by significant growth in the G&NS, I&SS, Music, and Pictures segments[248][249]. - Operating income for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, was ¥1,208.2 billion, a slight increase from ¥1,202.3 billion in the previous year[248]. - Net income attributable to Sony Group Corporation's stockholders rose to ¥937.1 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, compared to ¥882.2 billion in the prior year[248]. - Cost of sales increased by ¥1,328.9 billion year-on-year to ¥7,174.7 billion, with the ratio of cost of sales to sales deteriorating from 69.6% to 71.1%[251]. - R&D costs rose to ¥735.7 billion, representing 7.3% of sales, a slight decrease from 7.4% in the previous fiscal year[252]. - Selling, general and administrative (SGA) expenses increased by ¥380.7 billion year-on-year to ¥1,969.2 billion, with the ratio of SGA expenses to sales worsening from 18.9% to 19.5%[252]. Capital Expenditures and Investments - In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, Sony's capital expenditures were 809.6 billion yen, an increase from 697.2 billion yen in the previous fiscal year[120]. - Sony invested approximately 381.1 billion yen in the Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment, including 355.9 billion yen to increase image sensor production capacity[121]. - Sony's stake in the joint venture Sony Honda Mobility is 50%, established in September 2022[117]. - In July 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Bungie, an independent video game developer[117]. - Sony plans to enhance its business structure focusing on profitability and growth, aiming to create new business models and expand into new markets[281]. - The company intends to invest in virtual production and software solutions to enable new creative expressions and enhance its entertainment offerings[282]. Business Segments - Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC is responsible for the development and marketing of PlayStation hardware, software, and network services[124]. - Sony Music Entertainment (SME) focuses on the development, production, and distribution of recorded music globally, excluding Japan[126]. - Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) includes production and distribution of live-action and animated motion pictures, with various production organizations under its umbrella[129]. - Sony's Media Networks segment operates television networks and direct-to-consumer streaming services, including Crunchyroll and SonyLIV[132]. - The Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) segment was renamed from Electronics Products & Solutions effective April 2022, without reclassification of businesses[122]. Financial Services - Sony's financial services include life and non-life insurance operations through its Japanese subsidiaries[123]. - Sony's financial services segment includes life insurance, non-life insurance, and banking operations, contributing to its diversified revenue streams[137][161][162]. - Sony Life employed 5,402 Lifeplanner® sales specialists as of March 31, 2023, indicating a strong sales force for its life insurance products[159]. - Sony Assurance's direct marketing model has enabled it to lower costs and offer competitively priced premiums, enhancing its market position in Japan[161]. - Sony Bank focuses on asset management and borrowing needs, providing a range of products including yen and foreign currency deposits, investment trusts, and mortgages[162]. - Sony's Financial Services segment maintains a high solvency margin ratio, exceeding Japanese domestic minimum requirements[180]. - Sony Bank has sustained a sufficient capital adequacy ratio in line with Japanese domestic criteria, ensuring financial stability[180]. - The company faces significant competition in Japan's retail financial services market, including traditional banks and online financial institutions[179]. - Sony's insurance businesses are subject to the Insurance Business Act, which mandates maintaining specified reserves and a minimum solvency margin ratio[183]. Sustainability Initiatives - The Sustainability Department promotes initiatives across Sony's business units, focusing on sustainability KPIs that are integrated into performance evaluations[198]. - For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, Sony's sustainability KPIs included reducing virgin oil-based plastic use and implementing renewable energy at manufacturing facilities[200]. - Sony identified "Climate Change," "DE&I," "Respect for Human Rights," and "Technology for Sustainability" as priority topics for sustainability initiatives[204]. - The company acknowledges the critical issue of climate change and aims to reduce its environmental impact while leveraging its diverse technologies[207]. - Sony aims to achieve net-zero emissions across all scopes by 2040, with a target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions to net-zero by 2030 and Scope 3 emissions by 45% compared to FY 2019 by 2035[213]. - By 2030, Sony plans to use 100% renewable electricity at its business sites, with a target of 35% renewable energy usage by 2025[213]. - Sony's net-zero target for 2040 was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022, reflecting its commitment to climate action[209]. - The company is exploring investments in start-ups focused on carbon removal and developing indices that integrate biodiversity and carbon fixation[213]. Employee Diversity and Inclusion - The ratio of employees with prior experience at other companies in Japan was 52.5% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, indicating a strong focus on diverse talent acquisition[228]. - As of March 31, 2023, the ratio of women to men in the workforce at Sony Group was 34.0%, with 30.0% in management positions, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve gender diversity[230]. - Sony has committed to creating inclusive work environments, signing the Valuable 500 initiative focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities[236]. - The company has implemented various programs to foster employee diversity and inclusivity, aligning with its sustainable growth strategy[237]. - Sony's diverse businesses are supported by approximately 110,000 employees worldwide, emphasizing the importance of employee diversity for creative innovation[220]. Research and Development - Sony's imaging and sensing solutions segment primarily develops CMOS image sensors, which are widely used in smartphones and other applications[136]. - The company has established a strong competitive position through innovative product introductions and a focus on high-quality user experiences across its product lines[173]. - Sony's R&D includes the development of environmentally conscious materials and technologies aimed at reducing power consumption in products[216]. - Sony's initiatives for improving accessibility include employing inclusive design and participating in events like the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference[217]. - The company has established the Sony Group AI Ethics Committee to strengthen its framework for AI ethics and ensure responsible AI development[218].