Philips loss widens in Q4, to stop making some of its iconic products, sells out to Funai Electric
Royal Philips Electronics NV Tuesday said it will sell the entertainment division which contains many of the consumer products for which it is best known, such as audio and video equipment, to Funai Electric Co., Ltd., of Japan for (euro) 150 million ($202 million) plus licensing fees.
Funai will assume responsibility for the manufacturing of the Philips products but license and sell them under the Philips brand for five years. It has an option to renew.
The disposal is the latest in a series of moves by Philips as it gradually shifts its corporate focus away from consumer electronics manufacturing _ while continuing to draw some benefit from the historical strength of its brand.
Philips still makes some popular household products such as coffee machines, electric toothbrushes and electric shavers. But its cutting-edge technologies are now mostly concentrated in the lighting sector, where it is the world's largest manufacturer; and in health care equipment, where it competes with General Electric and Siemens in making medical imaging equipment.
In addition to the Funai deal, Philips also reported fourth quarter earnings Tuesday that were hammered by a (euro) 509 million cartel-forming fine _ the largest ever levied by European regulators.
Philips said its underlying business improved on an operational basis, with its lighting arm, which accounts for a quarter of the company's total business, seeing sales rise 43 percent
Excluding restructuring charges and the fine, earnings were up 50 percent to (euro) 875 million, the company said.
“Our operational results improved across all sectors, as a result
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