Sony said Wednesday it would book a $1.2 billion gain from selling part of an online medical services unit, the Japanese electronics giant's latest asset sale as it eyes a full-year profit.

The firm has announced a massive corporate overhaul that includes thousands of job cuts and the sale of a chemical division and its US headquarters in Manhattan.

It is also investing in Olympus to tap the camera and medical equipment maker's strong foothold in the global market for endoscopes used in surgery.

Sony said it would book a one-time gain of 115 billion yen ($1.2 billion) by selling a 6 percent stake in M3 Inc to Deutsche Securities.

Sony, which would still own about 50 percent of M3 after the sale, said the move was part of a bid to "transform" its business and that it would still remain M3's major shareholder.

AFP