Sony has achieved its first operating profit in five quarters and is cutting its forecast loss for the full year, it announced today.

Helped by a recovery in its TV operations, the company posted an operating profit of 146.1 billion yen ($1.61 billion) for October-December, against a loss of 17.96 billion yen a year earlier.

Net profit increased eight times to 79.2 billion yen ($871 million) while sales rose 3.9 per cent to 2.24 trillion yen ($24.6 billion).

Sales in the consumer products and devices division dropped 11 per cent as a result of price competition in the flat-panel TV, gaming-console chip and optical pick-up sectors but the benefits of restructuring helped the business hit an operating profit.

Sony altered its forecast for the full year. The company now expects to lose 70 billion yen for fiscal 2009 (it previously had forecast a 95 billion yen loss).