Panasonic Posts Net Loss of Nearly $9 Billion - WSJ.com
Bye Bye, Japan Inc.
Panasonic Posts Loss of Nearly $9 Billion
HONG KONGIn one of the biggest quarterly losses ever for a Japanese company, Panasonic Corp. 6752.TO +4.47% reported a net loss approaching $9 billion for the three months through September due mainly to massive restructuring costs.
For the full year through March, the Japanese maker of Viera television sets and various other home appliances now expects to post -- for the second straight yearan annual net loss close to $10 billion.
The quarterly loss and the sharply revised forecast took analysts by surprise Wednesday. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had predicted a net profit of ¥3.85 billion ($48.4 million) for the quarter.
"We apologize for such a big gap in our outlook," said Hideaki Kawai, managing director at Panasonic who oversees the company's finances at a news conference. "The slump in the digital consumer market was dramatic," he said.
Bye Bye, Japan Inc.