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WOWOW INC. (4839) AI Stock Analysis

JP:4839

WOWOW INC.

(TSE/TYO:4839)

Select Model
Rating:47Neutral
Price Target:JPY 811.00â–¼(-1.46% Downside)
Action:reiterated
Date:10/31/26

WOWOW scores below average, driven primarily by severe and persistent profitability erosion — gross margins down over 1,100 basis points in four years, net margin at 0.8%, and ROE under 1% — signalling structural pressure on its broadcasting business. Technicals compound the concern, with the stock trading below all major moving averages and a deeply negative MACD, although extremely oversold RSI and Stochastic readings suggest a possible near-term bounce. Supporting the score are two genuine strengths: a virtually debt-free balance sheet with a 68% equity ratio that provides substantial resilience, and improving free cash flow that exceeds reported earnings. The 3.65% dividend yield and low 0.37 beta offer defensive income appeal, but the 18.1x P/E is unattractive given the earnings trajectory. The projected FY2026 revenue jump of ~60% warrants close monitoring as a potential inflection point.

Positive Factors
Minimal debt and strong balance sheetVery low leverage gives WOWOW substantial financial flexibility and reduces exposure to refinancing or interest-cost pressure. A sizable, stable equity base should help the company withstand cyclical operating weakness and continue funding content and digital-service investments over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Broadly flat revenue trendLimited top-line expansion suggests that subscriber economics, pricing, or content monetization have not yet produced sustained growth. A flat revenue base constrains operating leverage and makes it harder for WOWOW to absorb rising programming costs or rebuild margins through scale.

WOWOW INC. (4839) vs. iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ)

-50%-40%-30%-20%-10%0%10%20%30%JP:4839-46.50%EWJ+15.87%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
Market Cap
JPY 23.99B
Dividend Yield
3.65%
Average Volume (3M)
110.48K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
18.1
Beta (1Y)
0.37
Revenue Growth
-2.33%
EPS Growth
-63.52%
Country
Japan
Employees
801
Sector
Communication Services
Sector Strength
60
Industry
Broadcasting

WOWOW INC. Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Wowow Inc. is a media enterprise specializing in broadcasting and related offerings throughout the country. The company is involved in both acquiring and producing program content, which it disseminates via multiple platforms,...

How the Company Makes Money

WOWOW INC. primarily makes money through recurring subscription fees from customers who pay to access its pay-TV programming services. A secondary source of revenue comes from advertising and sponsorship tied to its programming and channels (includin...

WOWOW INC. Financial Statement Overview

Summary

WOWOW's financials are a study in contrasts. The balance sheet is a fortress — essentially debt-free (debt-to-equity of 0.004x), with a ~68% equity ratio and steadily growing shareholders' equity of ¥68B. However, the income statement is deteriorating badly: gross margin has compressed from 43.4% to 32.2% in four years, net margin has collapsed to 0.8%, and net income of ¥637M is roughly 85% below the FY2022 peak. Cash flow offers partial relief, with free cash flow turning positive and improving to ¥2.3B, exceeding reported earnings — a decent quality-of-earnings signal — but absolute generation remains modest against a ¥100B asset base. Returns on equity have fallen below 1%, indicating a large asset base being underutilized. The projected FY2026 revenue surge of ~60% is an anomaly requiring scrutiny. Financially safe, operationally challenged.

Income Statement

28Negative

Balance Sheet

72Positive

Cash Flow

48Neutral
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMMar 2026Mar 2025Mar 2024Mar 2023Mar 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue76.07B77.12B76.76B74.87B77.10B79.66B
Gross Profit22.32B22.75B24.69B24.42B25.90B30.75B
EBITDA4.57B4.53B4.31B5.48B6.95B8.77B
Net Income1.29B1.30B637.00M1.09B2.40B4.24B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets109.77B94.55B100.50B89.15B97.20B99.65B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments26.02B29.68B28.75B28.33B28.68B30.74B
Total Debt242.00M236.00M254.00M197.00M63.00M95.00M
Total Liabilities40.21B25.00B32.46B20.92B30.37B32.70B
Stockholders Equity69.55B69.54B68.03B68.22B66.83B66.96B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow02.71B2.31B1.41B940.00M3.52B
Operating Cash Flow05.34B4.34B4.29B3.22B6.42B
Investing Cash Flow0-3.72B-3.63B-2.75B-2.30B-2.11B
Financing Cash Flow0-928.00M-927.00M-1.43B-2.52B852.00M

WOWOW INC. Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price823.00

Price Trends

50DMA967.50Negative
100DMA985.23Negative
200DMA1125.27Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-28.06Positive
RSI18.01Positive
STOCH15.61Positive

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For JP:4839, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 823.00 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 914.10, below the 50-day MA of 967.50, and below the 200-day MA of 1125.27, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -28.06 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 18.01 is Positive, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 15.61 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for JP:4839.

WOWOW INC. Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)

Financial Indicators

JP:4839 against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
JP:9404JP:940481OutperformJPY 768.62B11.866.37%1.45%2.95%30.61%
JP:9414JP:941471OutperformJPY 16.78B12.92―3.19%0.92%-3.55%
JP:9401JP:940168NeutralJPY 966.32B19.644.04%1.61%5.12%6.10%
JP:9412JP:941266NeutralJPY 512.31B19.688.73%2.60%6.58%32.95%
Sector *60Neutral$48.67B4.58-11.27%4.14%2.83%-41.78%
JP:9409JP:940957NeutralJPY 345.19B12.116.06%2.65%4.11%4.48%
JP:4839JP:483947NeutralJPY 22.97B18.09―3.65%-2.33%-63.52%

* Communication Services Sector Average

Performance Comparison

0%50%100%150%200%JP:4839JP:9404JP:9412JP:9401JP:9409JP:9414Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
JP:4839 and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
JP:4839WOWOW INC.823.00-597.15-42.05%
JP:9404Nippon Television Holdings 3095.00-595.06-16.13%
JP:9412SKY Perfect JSAT Holdings 1808.00321.2421.61%
JP:9401TBS HOLDINGS INC.6145.00911.5017.42%
JP:9409TV Asahi Holdings Corporation3400.00349.7011.46%
JP:9414Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp.941.0020.882.27%

WOWOW INC. Corporate Events

WOWOW Lowers Full-Year Outlook as First-Half Profit Slumps

Oct 30, 2026

WOWOW Inc. reported a decline in performance for the six months ended September 30, 2026, with net sales falling 5.2% year-on-year to ¥35.6 billion and profit attributable to owners of parent dropping 32.3% to ¥979 million. Earnings per sha...

WOWOW Completes Third-Party Share Allotment to NTT DOCOMO

Oct 1, 2026

WOWOW INC. has completed payment procedures for a third-party allotment of new shares to NTT DOCOMO, issuing 815,800 ordinary shares at ¥1,031 each and raising approximately ¥841 million. The transaction increases WOWOW’s capital stoc...

WOWOW and NTT DOCOMO Finalize Joint Venture for Lemino Streaming Business

Oct 1, 2026

WOWOW Inc. has completed the establishment of WOWOW Lemino Inc., a joint venture with NTT DOCOMO that will operate DOCOMO’s entertainment video content distribution business Lemino, following an absorption-type company split. The new entity, in...

WOWOW Renames Subsidiary as Joint Venture with NTT DOCOMO for Lemino Takes Shape

Sep 24, 2026

WOWOW Inc. will rename its wholly owned subsidiary, currently called WOWOW Joint Business Preparation Inc., to WOWOW Lemino Inc. as of October 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval of amendments to the Articles of Incorporation. The move formalize...

WOWOW Revamps Shareholder Benefits, Adds E-Commerce Coupon and Ends QUO Card

Sep 1, 2026

WOWOW INC. will revise its shareholder benefits program, maintaining existing eligibility criteria while enhancing rewards to encourage longer-term shareholding and stronger support for its business. The company is discontinuing the WOWOW Original QU...

WOWOW Finalizes Key Agreement in Lemino Joint Venture with NTT DOCOMO

Aug 12, 2026

WOWOW Inc. has finalized an absorption-type company split agreement between a wholly owned subsidiary and NTT DOCOMO Inc., advancing a previously announced capital and business alliance centered on DOCOMO’s entertainment video content distribut...

WOWOW and NTT DOCOMO Advance Lemino Streaming Joint Venture, Adjust Split Timeline

Jul 31, 2026

WOWOW Inc. has completed the establishment of WOWOW Joint Business Preparation Inc., a new entity created to support a capital and business alliance with NTT DOCOMO around the Lemino entertainment video content distribution business. Initially fully...

WOWOW Posts Softer Q1 Sales But Sticks to 2027 Dividend and Profit Outlook

Jul 31, 2026

WOWOW Inc. reported consolidated net sales of ¥17.64 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2026, down 5.6% year on year, with operating profit falling 21.7% to ¥921 million and profit attributable to owners essentially flat at ¥9...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Oct 31, 2026