JOF (Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund) Piotroski F-Score: 5 (As of Jul. 26, 2026) — 25% Above Median

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JOF Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Inc JOF
37 GF Score
Price $11.29
! 2 Warning Signs
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What is Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Piotroski F-Score?

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund JOF +1.71% 37 Piotroski F-Score is 5 as of Jul. 26, 2026, which is 25% above its 10-year median of 4.00. GuruFocus rates JOF with a GF Score™ of 37/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,598 Asset Management companies, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund ranks better than 64.52% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination were as such:

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund has an F-score of 5 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.

The historical rank and industry rank for Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:

JOF' s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3   Med: 4   Max: 7
Current: 5

During the past 9 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund was 7. The lowest was 3. And the median was 4.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund  (NYSE:JOF) Piotroski F-Score Explanation

The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.

He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.

In 2000, he wrote a research paper called "Value Investing: The Use of Historical Financial Statement Information to Separate Winners from Losers" (pdf).

He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.

What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.

Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.

Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).

Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.


Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Piotroski F-Score Related Terms


Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Piotroski F-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Piotroski F-Score Chart

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Annual Data
Trend Feb18 Feb19 Feb20 Feb21 Feb22 Feb23 Feb24 Feb25 Feb26
Piotroski F-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only 4.00 3.00 6.00 3.00 5.00

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Semi-Annual Data
Aug17 Feb18 Aug18 Feb19 Aug19 Feb20 Aug20 Feb21 Aug21 Feb22 Aug22 Feb23 Aug23 Feb24 Aug24 Feb25 Aug25 Feb26
Piotroski F-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 6.00 0.00 3.00 0.00 5.00

JOF vs PPT, SPXX, RFMZ: Piotroski F-Score Comparison

For the Asset Management subindustry, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Piotroski F-Score vs Asset Management Industry

For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score falls into.


JOF
37GF Score
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Inc JOF
Piotroski F-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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How is the Piotroski F-Score calculated?

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Feb26) TTM:Last Year (Feb25) TTM:
Net Income was $143.5 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was $0.0 Mil.
Revenue was $147.4 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of this year (Feb25)
to the end of this year (Feb26) was (269.714 + 394.166) / 2 = $331.94 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of this year (Feb25) was $269.7 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $0.0 Mil.
Total Assets was $394.2 Mil.
Total Liabilities was $2.8 Mil.
Net Income was $7.6 Mil.

Revenue was $8.7 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of last year (Feb24)
to the end of last year (Feb25) was (270.222 + 269.714) / 2 = $269.968 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of last year (Feb24) was $270.2 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $0.0 Mil.
Total Assets was $269.7 Mil.
Total Liabilities was $1.8 Mil.

*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.

Profitability

Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)

Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Net Income (TTM) was 143.5. ==> Positive ==> Score 1.

Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)

Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 0.0. ==> Negative ==> Score 0.

Question 3. Change in Return on Assets

Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.

Score 1 if it's higher, 0 if it's lower.

ROA (This Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (Feb25)
=143.471/269.714
=0.53193753

ROA (Last Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (Feb24)
=7.612/270.222
=0.02816943

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's return on assets of this year was 0.53193753. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's return on assets of last year was 0.02816943. ==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)

Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)

Score 1 if CFROA > ROA, 0 if CFROA <= ROA.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Net Income (TTM) was 143.5. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 0.0. ==> 0.0 <= 143.5 ==> CFROA <= ROA ==> Score 0.

Funding

Question 5. Change in Gearing or Leverage

Compare this year's gearing (long-term debt divided by average total assets) to last year's gearing.

Score 0 if this year's gearing is higher, 1 otherwise.

Gearing (This Year: Feb26)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from Feb25 to Feb26
=0/331.94
=0

Gearing (Last Year: Feb25)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from Feb24 to Feb25
=0/269.968
=0

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's gearing of this year was 0. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's gearing of last year was 0. ==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.

Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)

Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.

Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

* Note that for banks and insurance companies, there's no Total Current Assets and Total Current Liabilities reported. Thus, we use Total Assets and Total Liabilities to calculate current ratio for banks and insurance companies.

Current Ratio (This Year: Feb26)=Total Assets/Total Liabilities
=394.166/2.84
=138.79084507

Current Ratio (Last Year: Feb25)=Total Assets/Total Liabilities
=269.714/1.753
=153.85852824

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current ratio of this year was 138.79084507. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current ratio of last year was 153.85852824. ==> Last year's current ratio is higher ==> Score 0.

Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue

Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.

Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's number of shares in issue this year was 28.354. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's number of shares in issue last year was 28.194. ==> There is larger number of shares in issue this year. ==> Score 0.

Efficiency

Question 8. Change in Gross Margin

Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.

Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.

* Note that for banks and insurance companies, there's no Gross Profit reported. Thus, we use net income instead of gross profit and calculate Net Margin for this score.

Net Margin (This Year: TTM)=Net Income/Revenue
=143.471/147.364
=0.97358242

Net Margin (Last Year: TTM)=Net Income/Revenue
=7.612/8.749
=0.87004229

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's net margin of this year was 0.97358242. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's net margin of last year was 0.87004229. ==> This year's net margin is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 9. Change in asset turnover

Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.

Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

Asset Turnover (This Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of This Year (Feb25)
=147.364/269.714
=0.54637134

Asset Turnover (Last Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of Last Year (Feb24)
=8.749/270.222
=0.03237708

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's asset turnover of this year was 0.54637134. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's asset turnover of last year was 0.03237708. ==> This year's asset turnover is higher. ==> Score 1.

Evaluation

Piotroski F-Score= Que. 1+ Que. 2+ Que. 3+Que. 4+Que. 5+Que. 6+Que. 7+Que. 8+Que. 9
=1+0+1+0+1+0+0+1+1
=5

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund has an F-score of 5 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Piotroski F-Score →
What does a Piotroski F-Score of 5 mean?
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund (JOF) has a Piotroski F-Score of 5 as of Jul. 26, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund and its competitors. This is 25% above median its historical median of 4.00. Over the past decade, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 7.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund ranks #567 out of 1598 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 35.5%.
Is Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Piotroski F-Score of 5 is 25% above median its 10-year median of 4.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 7.00. The Asset Management industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's value of 5 is 0% at this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund ranks #567 out of 1598 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund has a GF Score™ of 37/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's Piotroski F-Score compare to PPT and SPXX?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund ranks #567 out of 1598 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This puts Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's value of 5 is 0% at this benchmark. Historically, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 7.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund has consistently been at the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for an Asset Management company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Asset Management companies is 5.00, based on 1,598 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Piotroski F-Score of 5 is 0% at the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's current Piotroski F-Score is 5, which is 25% above median its own 10-year median of 4.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund stock overvalued right now?
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund (JOF) has a current Piotroski F-Score of 5. The current Piotroski F-Score is 5, which is 25% above median its 10-year median of 4.00 and 0% at the Asset Management industry median of 5.00. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund's overall GF Score™ is 37/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund (JOF), the current Piotroski F-Score is 5 as of Jul. 26, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Business Description

Address 309 West 49th Street, Worldwide Plaza, New York, NY, USA, 10019
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Inc is a closed-end management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation through investments in smaller capitalization Japanese equity securities. Its portfolio of investments consists of different sectors such as banks, chemicals, construction, electric appliances, financing business, food, Information and Communication, Utilities, Real Estate, and others.
37GF Score

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