After selling its PC business and spinning off its TV operations, Sony is cutting thousands of jobs in its mobile phone business to cope with falling smartphone sales. It is also spending more on image sensors, used in smartphone cameras and emerging as one of the company's strongest product lines. Investors have also cited expectations that Yoshida was prepared to sell off or shut down operations that fail to turn profitable through costs cuts. They will get an update on Sony's thinking when Hirai presents the company's business strategy on Feb. 18. "We like the ongoing consumer electronics exit strategy. And we like the focus on cost-control," said Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal, who called Sony's numbers "the strongest result in the last decade". He recommended a "buy" on the shares with a price target of 3,520 yen.