Sony sees $3.2b net loss for 20102011

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters): Sony Corp said Monday it would post a $3.2-billion net loss for the year that ended on March 31, the latest setback for the Japanese consumer electronics giant. The maker of the PlayStation video games, Vaio computers and Trinitron TVs has been battling to recover from the devastating earthquake in March, and more recently, a series of computing hacking attacks. It is due to announce its full-year earnings Thursday. Sony said it now expected a net loss of 260 billion yen ($3.2 billion) versus a previous forecast for a profit of 70 billion yen, thanks to a "non-cash charge" of around 360 billion yen related to Japanese tax credits. The company stuck with its earlier forecast, issued before the March 11 earthquake, for an annual operating profit of 200 billion yen ($2.4 billion).