TOKYO (AP) — Sony Group Corp. reported a 32% profit growth in the fiscal first quarter Friday while warning of a negative impact from the earthquake that hit southwestern Kumamoto earlier this week.The Tokyo-based entertainment company said its semiconductor facilities there were affected, and production remained suspended at one, while others were back up.There was no major damage. However, the impact on Sony’s bottom line was still being assessed, so that was not included in Friday’s results. Before the quake, Sony had said it was on track to report record profit for the fiscal year. Sony, which makes the PlayStation video game machines, Bravia TVs and “Spider-Man” movies, said net profit for the April-June period rose to 342.2 billion yen ($2 billion) from 259 billion yen. Quarterly sales edged up 8% to 2.84 trillion yen ($17.7 billion).
The 7.1 magnitude quake that struck July 28 in the Kumamoto area in Japan ‘s southwestern main island of Kyushu caused at least 34 deaths. It also halted operations at factories, left hundreds of homes without electricity, flattened buildings and stopped trains. Sony’s music business did well in the latest quarter, with both digital streaming and publishing businesses recording healthy results.
