Toshiba Sees Improved Flash Sales, But Mobile Firms Suffer

Toshiba provided just a shade of optimism in a week when mobile phone bellwethers Nokia and Sony Ericsson reported increasing losses.

Toshiba trimmed its forecast for the year ended March 31 with lower sales but a reduced operating loss figure.

Net loss will be higher due to a large tax write-off.

The company also warned of a further 3,900 job cuts this year.

But the market took heart from a 11 percent improvement in the projected operating loss of $2.5bn.

Behind the marginal improvement in figures was improved profitability in the TV business and increased sales of chip especially NAND flash devices.

Sony Ericsson saw pre-tax loss increase to €358m in the first three months of this year as sales fell 40 percent. The mobile company announced 2,000 job cuts.

Nokia reported a 90 percent fall in net profits to €122m for the first quarter of 2009.

Electronics Weekly, a sister publication of EM Asia