sony says to sell battery business to murata manufacturing - lithium ion rechargeable battery

TOKYO (Reuters)-Sony Corp (6758. T)
On Thursday, it said it had agreed to sell part of its battery business to Yoshida Manufacturing Co. , Ltd (6981. T)
In response to a slowdown in smartphone demand.
The announcement comes as the company plans to launch VR headsets to boost growth in its gaming business, and plans to re-
The last time the robot industry abandoned the business, it entered the industry ten years later.
Sony said in a joint statement that the agreement involves the sale of the battery business of its subsidiary, Sony energy equipment, which produces lithium-
Ion polymer batteries for smartphones, tablets and digital cameras and lithium batteries
Ion charged battery.
Yoshida said it hoped the acquisition of Sony's battery business would give the Japanese company an edge in the communications market and help the company expand in the automotive, healthcare and energy markets.
"Murata intends to position the global battery business as the core business of its energy business to achieve further business growth and expansion," the company said . ".
Under the agreement, Sony will retain the retail branded battery business associated with USB and alkaline batteries, as well as other products, and its amount has not yet been determined.
Sony said it may lose book from the sale, but the losses will not be reflected in the earnings outlook announced on Friday.
The company said it plans to complete the deal around March 2017.
Murakami produces capacitors, sensors and other electronic components for a range of products such as smartphones, white home appliances, industrial equipment and healthcare products. Further expand the auto market.
The company says it sees opportunities in the long run to integrate sensors and communication technologies into the growing Internet of Things market.