Spinoff Proposal Talk Sends Sony Shares Higher
Shares of Sony moved sharply higher Tuesday on heavy volume as reports circulated that the electronics giant is considering a proposal from billionaire investor and major shareholder Dan Loeb.
Japan's Nikkei reports that Sony will have third-party financial advisors estimate how much its value would increase from Loeb's proposal to spin off its movie and music business. Loeb has disclosed about a 6 percent stake in Sony.
Sony is also reportedly considering a board meeting to evaluate the proposal.
The move higher in Sony's stock Tuesday seemed to coincide with Microsoft's Xbox announcement that it will carry a Blu-ray drive. Dan Ernst of Hudson Square Research described the news as a "moral victory" for Sony but said that it wouldn't be the only recipient of royalty payments.
Ernst said the stock's initial move higher was more likely tied to Sony's strategy meeting Wednesday, in which it will provide a three-year forecast. This corporate guidance rarely proves a negative, he said, adding that short covering also could explain some of the surge.
This week, analysts at Jefferies initiated coverage on Sony with a buy rating. They argued that he company's position in insurance and content (movies and music) creates all the value, and that electronics is its "Achilles heel" and worth zero barring the sale of brands such as PlayStation.
—By CNBC's Josh Lipton. Follow him on Twitter @CNBCJosh.