Watts Nine-Month Operating Profit Rises 34% to ¥1.37bn as 100-Yen Shop Sales Grow 4.3%

Watts, a Japanese operator of "Watts" and "Silk" 100-yen shops in Japan and overseas, said nine-month operating profit rose 33.8% to ¥1.37 billion as sales grew 4.3% to ¥48.0 billion; net profit attributable to owners jumped 36.4% to ¥808 million.

A 100-yen variety shop Watts · TSE

Watts (TSE: 2735), which operates "Watts" and "Silk" 100-yen shops in Japan and overseas, reported results for the first nine months of the fiscal year ending August 2026 — the period from September 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. Sales rose 4.3% to ¥48,010m, operating profit rose 33.8% to ¥1,368m, ordinary profit rose 39.3% to ¥1,416m and net profit attributable to owners rose 36.4% to ¥808m. Nine-month EPS was ¥60.99, up from ¥44.97.

Profit growth far outpaces sales

Profit improved on solid same-store sales, new store openings and a better product mix at the company's 100-yen and variety outlets. Operating profit grew nearly eight times faster than sales, while ordinary profit climbed 39.3% to ¥1,416m and comprehensive income rose 42.1% to ¥836m. The stronger margin reflects tighter cost control alongside higher-value merchandise across the "Watts" and "Silk" store formats.

Balance sheet

Total assets stood at ¥26,674m as of May 31, 2026, while net assets rose to ¥13,628m. The equity ratio strengthened to 51.0% from 47.3% a year earlier, reflecting retained earnings from the improved result.

Dividend raised

Watts guided a full-year FY8/26 dividend totalling ¥23.00 per share — an interim of ¥10.50 and a year-end of ¥12.50, the latter including a ¥5.00 special dividend. That is up from ¥20.00 paid in FY8/25.

Full-year outlook unchanged

Watts left its full-year FY8/26 guidance intact, projecting sales of ¥63,000m (+2.3%), operating profit of ¥1,500m (+5.7%), ordinary profit of ¥1,500m (+5.0%) and net profit of ¥900m (+3.4%), for EPS of ¥68.01. The nine-month result already covers about 76% of the full-year sales target and 91% of the operating-profit target.

Watts — 9M FY8/2026 Key Financials (J-GAAP, consolidated)
Metric9M FY8/269M FY8/25YoY
Sales (¥m)48,01046,012+4.3%
Operating profit (¥m)1,3681,022+33.8%
Ordinary profit (¥m)1,4161,017+39.3%
Net profit attrib. (¥m)808592+36.4%
EPS (¥)60.9944.97+35.6%
Equity ratio51.0%47.3%+3.7pp

JapanStockPulse provides informational content only and does not constitute investment advice. Figures are taken from the company's published earnings short report and may be subject to subsequent revision.