Starts Publishing (TSE:7849) Beneish M-Score: -1.76 (As of Jul. 14, 2026)

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TSE:7849 Starts Publishing Corp TSE:7849
86 GF Score
Price 円3,490.00
GF Value 円3,953.56
Valuation Modestly Undervalued
! 2 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Starts Publishing Beneish M-Score?

Starts Publishing TSE:7849 -0.43% 86 Beneish M-Score is -1.76 as of Jul. 14, 2026. GuruFocus rates TSE:7849 with a GF Score™ of 86/100 and a GF Value™ of 円3,953.56 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 976 Media - Diversified companies, Starts Publishing ranks worse than 83.3% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Warning Sign:

Beneish M-Score -1.76 higher than -1.78, which implies that the company might have manipulated its financial results.

The historical rank and industry rank for Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

TSE:7849' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.16   Med: -2.43   Max: -1.76
Current: -1.76

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Starts Publishing was -1.76. The lowest was -3.16. And the median was -2.43.


Starts Publishing Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Starts Publishing's Beneish M-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.

Starts Publishing Beneish M-Score Chart

Starts Publishing Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -3.16 -2.42 -2.34 -2.43 -1.76

Starts Publishing Quarterly Data
Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Beneish M-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 Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.76 0.00

TSE:7849 vs NYT, WLY: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Publishing subindustry, Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-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.


Starts Publishing Beneish M-Score vs Media - Diversified Industry

For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score falls into.


TSE:7849
86GF Score
Starts Publishing Corp TSE:7849
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Starts Publishing Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Starts Publishing for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 1.1892+0.528 * 1.0768+0.404 * 1.7411+0.892 * 0.9489+0.115 * 0.9699
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1+4.679 * 0.044838-0.327 * 0.8599
=-1.76

* 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 (Dec25) TTM:Last Year (Dec24) TTM:
Total Receivables was 円2,835 Mil.
Revenue was 円8,143 Mil.
Gross Profit was 円4,181 Mil.
Total Current Assets was 円10,383 Mil.
Total Assets was 円12,902 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was 円40 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was 円69 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was 円0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was 円1,872 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was 円0 Mil.
Net Income was 円1,377 Mil.
Gross Profit was 円0 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 円799 Mil.
Total Receivables was 円2,512 Mil.
Revenue was 円8,582 Mil.
Gross Profit was 円4,745 Mil.
Total Current Assets was 円10,616 Mil.
Total Assets was 円11,981 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was 円43 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was 円69 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was 円0 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was 円2,022 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was 円0 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(2834.898 / 8143.367) / (2512.151 / 8581.52)
=0.348124 / 0.29274
=1.1892

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(4744.691 / 8581.52) / (4181.314 / 8143.367)
=0.552896 / 0.513463
=1.0768

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (10383.367 + 40.014) / 12902.098) / (1 - (10615.845 + 43.294) / 11981.204)
=0.192117 / 0.110345
=1.7411

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=8143.367 / 8581.52
=0.9489

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(68.953 / (68.953 + 43.294)) / (69.12 / (69.12 + 40.014))
=0.614297 / 0.63335
=0.9699

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(0 / 8143.367) / (0 / 8581.52)
=0 / 0
=1

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((0 + 1872.104) / 12902.098) / ((0 + 2021.745) / 11981.204)
=0.145101 / 0.168743
=0.8599

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(1377.253 - 0 - 798.75) / 12902.098
=0.044838

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Starts Publishing has a M-score of -1.76 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -1.76 mean?
Starts Publishing (TSE:7849) has a Beneish M-Score of -1.76 as of Jul. 14, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Starts Publishing and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Starts Publishing ranks #813 out of 976 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 83.3%.
Is Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score too high?
Starts Publishing's current Beneish M-Score is -1.76. Based on the distribution chart, Starts Publishing ranks #813 out of 976 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Starts Publishing has a GF Score™ of 86/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Starts Publishing's Beneish M-Score compare to NYT and WLY?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Starts Publishing ranks #813 out of 976 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Starts Publishing in the lower half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for a Media - Diversified company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Media - Diversified industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Starts Publishing and its competitors. Starts Publishing's current Beneish M-Score is -1.76. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Starts Publishing stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Starts Publishing (TSE:7849) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is 円3,953.56, compared to a current price of 円3,490.00 — trading 11.7% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -1.76. Starts Publishing's overall GF Score™ is 86/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Starts Publishing (TSE:7849), the current Beneish M-Score is -1.76 as of Jul. 14, 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.

Is Starts Publishing (TSE:7849) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Starts Publishing stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of 円3,490.00 is trading 11.7% below its estimated GF Value™ of 円3,953.56. GuruFocus considers Starts Publishing to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for TSE:7849:

  • Beneish M-Score: -1.76
  • GF Value™: 円3,953.56 vs. price of 円3,490.00 (11.7% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 86/100 with 2 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the TSE:7849 stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Starts Publishing Business Description

Address 5-33-14 Nakakasai, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, JPN, 104-0031
Starts Publishing Corp is engaged in Tokyo marketing domain which include event planning and management and sales to publishing store, and post contents of the domain. Its segments include: Book content business; and Media Solutions Business. It derives maximum revenue from Book content business segment.
86GF Score

Get the complete analysis for TSE:7849

Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

円3,490.00
Price
円3,953.56
GF Value