Sony Corp (6758.T) bounced from two-month lows on expectations it might have put its troubles behind it after the electronics conglomerate said this year's operating profit would match last year's, easing worries about the impact of the March earthquake.

Tokyo— Sony Corp. is expecting an annual loss of $3.2 billion, reversing its earlier projection of a return to profit, as the electronics giant struggles with production disruptions from Japan's tsunami and a hacker attack on its online gaming service.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a significant step forward in mobile gaming, but it suffers from key hardware limitations.

The loss, to be announced in a year-end earnings report on Thursday, would be Sony’s largest in 16 years.

Sony's Earnings Quake: A Comeback Derailed

Sony said Monday that the effects of the Japan earthquake and tax provisions will drag the company into a $3.18 billion loss for its 2011 fiscal year. Costs from the PlayStation Network hack are expected to total $171 million, the company said.

Sony Corp. is expecting an annual loss of $3.2 billion, reversing its earlier projection of a return to profit, as the electronics giant struggles with production disruptions from Japan's tsunami and a hacker attack on its online gaming service. A Sony official said parts shortages have eased but a full recovery hasn't yet been realized.

Sony Corp will post its third straight annual net loss for the year that ended in March after writing off tax credits in the wake of Japan's earthquake and tsunami, the latest in a string of grim headlines on the consumer electronics giant.

Sony Corp., Japan’s largest exporter of consumer electronics, forecast earnings below analysts’ estimates after the nation’s record earthquake crippled factories and hackers invaded its online entertainment services.

Sony said the net loss, versus a previous forecast for a profit, was due to charges related to Japanese tax credits.