OREANDA-NEWS. Embattled Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. said on Friday that it logged a reduced net loss and eked out a small operating profit in its latest quarter, improving its performance from a massive loss in the same period a year earlier, but still leaving conditions that could raise doubts about it remaining a going concern.

Sharp reported a net loss of 36.7 billion yen, in the three months ended Dec. 31 compared with a loss of Y173.6 billion in the same period a year earlier. On an operating basis, the company bounced back into the black with a profit of Y2.6 billion, surpassing expectations for an operating loss of Y2.92 billion from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Revenue rose 15% to Y678.2 billion.

The company's improving results come as Sharp scrambles to bolster its balance sheet after forecasting a second straight year of record losses.