Starts Publishing Corporation (7849) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: ¥14.42B
• Dividend Yield: 3.16%
• Average Volume (3M): 2.57K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 9.9
• Beta (1Y): 0.45
• Revenue Growth: -7.41%
• EPS Growth: -17.57%
• Country: JP
• Employees: 235
• Sector: Communication Services
• Sector Strength: 97
• Industry: Publishing
• EPS (TTM): 68.65
• Shares Outstanding: 3,840,000
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 3,710
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 2,566
• PEG Ratio: 2.28
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.15
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.31
• P/FCF Ratio: 6.90
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 79 Outperform
• Price Target: ¥4,420.00 ▲(14.81% Upside)

The score is driven primarily by strong financial quality (high margins and a debt-free, well-capitalized balance sheet) and supportive valuation (low P/E and solid dividend yield). The main offsets are cooling fundamentals (slight revenue decline and weaker cash flow vs last year) and a mixed technical picture with the stock still below its longer-term moving averages.

Positive Factors

Strong Profitability

High margins indicate efficient operations and strong pricing power, which can sustain profitability even with market fluctuations.

Debt-Free Balance Sheet

A debt-free balance sheet reduces financial risk and enhances resilience, providing flexibility for strategic investments or downturns.

Solid Cash Generation

Strong cash generation supports operational needs and potential growth investments, ensuring long-term financial health.

Negative Factors

Revenue Decline

A decline in revenue suggests challenges in market demand or competitive pressure, which could impact future growth prospects.

Weaker Cash Flow Conversion

Reduced cash flow conversion may indicate inefficiencies or increased investment needs, potentially straining liquidity.

Moderated Returns

Lower returns on equity suggest diminished profitability, which could affect investor confidence and capital allocation efficiency.

Starts Publishing Corporation Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Starts Publishing Corporation engages in the publishing business in Japan. The company publishes magazines, such as Oz magazine, Oz magazine trip, Metro Minutes, and Aerde; operates Oz Mall, an information site for women; and provides OZ premium reservation service, which allows online reservations for restaurants, hotels, beauty salons, etc. It also operates novel posting sites, such as Noichigo, Berry's Cafe, and Novem, as well as publishes books, e-comics, e-books, and comics. The company was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

How the Company Makes Money

Starts Publishing Corporation Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Starts Publishing Corporation exhibits strong financial health across all statements. The income statement shows consistent revenue and profit growth, the balance sheet is debt-free with strong equity, and cash flow is well-managed with substantial free cash flow. The company is well-positioned for continued stability and growth, with minimal financial risk due to its lack of debt and strong profitability metrics.

Income Statement

Starts Publishing Corporation has demonstrated strong income statement performance with consistent revenue growth from 4,434 million in 2020 to 8,581 million in 2024. The gross profit margin remains robust at approximately 55%, indicating efficient cost management. Net profit margin has been healthy, with a margin of around 21% in 2024. The EBIT margin and EBITDA margin are both strong at 27% and 28%, respectively, showing effective operational efficiency.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet of Starts Publishing Corporation is very strong, with zero debt, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 0. The equity ratio is high at 81%, suggesting a solid financial structure with significant equity backing. Return on equity (ROE) is impressive at 19% in 2024, reflecting good profitability relative to equity. The company’s liquidity is excellent, with substantial cash reserves.

Cash Flow

The company has shown a positive trajectory in cash flow performance, with free cash flow growth from 42 million in 2019 to 1,632 million in 2024. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is balanced, indicating sufficient cash generation to support net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio is strong, suggesting robust cash flow relative to earnings.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	7.95B	8.58B	8.34B	7.02B	5.52B	4.43B
Gross Profit	4.18B	4.74B	4.55B	3.59B	2.59B	1.65B
EBITDA	1.88B	2.41B	2.34B	1.67B	940.27M	300.36M
Net Income	1.45B	1.83B	1.78B	1.17B	566.48M	173.44M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	12.17B	11.98B	10.59B	8.55B	6.75B	5.76B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	7.77B	7.72B	6.34B	4.85B	3.79B	2.70B
Total Debt	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Total Liabilities	1.79B	2.21B	2.42B	2.16B	1.48B	923.36M
Stockholders Equity	10.37B	9.77B	8.17B	6.39B	5.28B	4.83B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	1.11B	1.63B	1.63B	1.15B	1.17B	-35.71M
Operating Cash Flow	1.12B	1.69B	1.70B	1.25B	1.21B	61.84M
Investing Cash Flow	-224.01M	33.00M	-92.53M	-103.65M	-54.05M	-100.65M
Financing Cash Flow	-459.40M	-344.00M	-115.72M	-76.66M	-67.12M	-67.29M

Starts Publishing Corporation Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 3850.00
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For JP:7849, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 3850 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 3795.51, above the 50-day MA of 3720.96, and below the 200-day MA of 3924.03, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -1.39 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 47.62 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 26.67 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for JP:7849.

Starts Publishing Corporation Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
7849	79 Outperform	¥14.42B	9.95	―	3.16%	-7.41%	-17.57%
6176	73 Outperform	¥9.81B	14.12	―	―	7.76%	12.44%
9478	73 Outperform	¥6.64B	16.89	―	0.87%	-3.02%	-30.86%
Sector *	60 Neutral	$48.67B	4.58	-11.27%	4.14%	2.83%	-41.78%
9475	58 Neutral	¥9.00B	39.60	―	1.06%	0.02%	-88.78%
3641	48 Neutral	¥8.85B	82.05	―	1.02%	-8.03%	―