P.M. BRIEFING : Sony Corp. Profits Soar 44.8%

Sony Corp.’s earnings surged in its third quarter ended Dec. 31 on healthy sales both in Japan and overseas, the electronics and entertainment giant said today.

Group profits climbed 44.8% from a year earlier to $293 million in the period, a company official said. Sales in the three-month period rose 41.8% from the previous year to $6.09 billion.

“We expect all divisions except for semiconductors to produce favorable results for the full year,” the official said.

Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc., which Sony bought last November, is also expected to contribute to group profits, but a company spokeswoman declined to say how much it would add.

Sony raised its forecast for group profits to $690 million in the year to March 31, 1990, from an earlier forecast of $620 million. Sales are estimated to total $19.10 billion, up from $18.28 billion.