Sony Puts Price on Its Entertainment Assets

Sony Corp. said its entertainment businesses, whose products include the record-setting “Spider-Man,” are worth as much as $19 billion, sparking speculation it may sell shares in the operations.

They are valued at $14 billion to $19 billion, said Chief Financial Officer Robert Wiesenthal, putting a price on the assets for the first time.

His comments, which value them at up to 40% of Sony’s market value, were made at an analyst meeting in New York, breaking with Sony’s tradition of briefing analysts in Japan first.

Howard Stringer, chairman and chief executive of Sony Corp. of America, said in a conference call after Weisenthal spoke that the group has no plans in the “foreseeable future” to sell shares in the assets, which include the Columbia movie and music labels and PlayStation video-game console.