Sony says books first annual net profit in five years

TOKYO: Struggling Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday said it booked its first annual net profit in five years, offering a glimmer of hope for the once-iconic firm.

Sony said it earned 43.03 billion yen ($436.08 million) for the fiscal year to March, reversing a whopping loss of 456.66 billion yen a year earlier, as a sharply weaker yen has helped boost Japanese exporters' competitiveness and inflated the value of their foreign income.