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Yakult Honsha CoSTU:YKH -1.96%80 Operating Margin % is 3.71% as of Mar. 2026, which is 67% below its 10-year median of 11.26. GuruFocus rates STU:YKH with a GF Score™ of 80/100 and a GF Value™ of €16,811.93 (Significantly Undervalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 116 Beverages - Non-Alcoholic companies, Yakult Honsha Co ranks better than 51.72% on this metric.
Yakult Honsha Co Ltd operating margin has been in a 5-year decline. The average rate of decline per year is -4.2%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % or its related term are showing as below:
STU:YKH'
s Operating Margin % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 9.29 Med: 11.26 Max: 13.68
Current: 9.29
STU:YKH's Operating Margin % is ranked better than 51.72% of 116
companies
in the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry
Industry Median: 8.975
vs STU:YKH: 9.29
Yakult Honsha Co's 5-Year Average Operating Margin % Growth Rate was -4.20% per year.
Yakult Honsha Co (STU:YKH) Operating Margin % Explanation
Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Yakult Honsha Co Operating Margin % Related Terms
Yakult Honsha Co Operating Margin % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % 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.
STU:YKH vs KO, PEP, MNST: Operating Margin % Comparison
For the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic subindustry, Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % 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.
Yakult Honsha Co Operating Margin % vs Beverages - Non-Alcoholic Industry
For the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % falls into.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as
* 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.
Yakult Honsha Co (STU:YKH) has a Operating Margin % of 3.71% as of Mar. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Yakult Honsha Co and its competitors. This is 67% below median its historical median of 11.26. Over the past decade, Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % has ranged from 9.29 to 13.68. According to the industry distribution chart, Yakult Honsha Co ranks #56 out of 116 companies in the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry, placing it in the top 48.3%.
Is Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % too high?
Yakult Honsha Co's current Operating Margin % of 3.71% is 67% below median its 10-year median of 11.26. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 9.29 to a high of 13.68. The Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry median Operating Margin % is 8.98. Yakult Honsha Co's value of 3.71% is 58.7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Yakult Honsha Co ranks #56 out of 116 companies in the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Yakult Honsha Co has a GF Score™ of 80/100 and is considered Significantly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Yakult Honsha Co's Operating Margin % compare to KO and PEP?
According to the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry distribution chart, Yakult Honsha Co ranks #56 out of 116 companies for Operating Margin %. This puts Yakult Honsha Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 8.98. Yakult Honsha Co's value of 3.71% is 58.7% below this benchmark. Historically, Yakult Honsha Co's own Operating Margin % has ranged from 9.29 to 13.68 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 11.26 vs. the industry median of 8.98, Yakult Honsha Co has consistently been below 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 Operating Margin % for a Beverages - Non-Alcoholic company?
The median Operating Margin % among Beverages - Non-Alcoholic companies is 8.98, based on 116 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Yakult Honsha Co's current Operating Margin % of 3.71% is 58.7% below 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 Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Yakult Honsha Co and its competitors. For the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry, the median Operating Margin % is 8.98 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Yakult Honsha Co's current Operating Margin % is 3.71%, which is 67% below median its own 10-year median of 11.26. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Yakult Honsha Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Yakult Honsha Co (STU:YKH) is currently considered Significantly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €16,811.93, compared to a current price of €15.00 — trading 99.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is 3.71%, which is 67% below median its 10-year median of 11.26 and 58.7% below the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic industry median of 8.98. Yakult Honsha Co's overall GF Score™ is 80/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Yakult Honsha Co (STU:YKH), the current Operating Margin % is 3.71% as of Mar. 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 Yakult Honsha Co (STU:YKH) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Yakult Honsha Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €15.00 is trading 99.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of €16,811.93.
GuruFocus considers Yakult Honsha Co to be Significantly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for STU:YKH:
Operating Margin %: 3.71% (67% below median its 10-year median of 11.26)
GF Value™: €16,811.93 vs. price of €15.00 (99.9% below fair value)
Industry Position: 58.7% below the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic median (#56 of 116)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:YKH stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Yakult Honsha is a pioneer in probiotics. It launched the probiotic drink Yakult in 1935 after Minoru Shirota's discovery of Lactobacillus casei Shirota, a strain of lactic acid bacteria, which proved to be able to live in the intestines, in 1930. It operates in 40 countries across four continents, selling mainly Yakult probiotic drinks. Apart from the retail outlets, the home delivery channel, served by a team of 83,000 Yakult Ladies globally, contributes about 45% of its probiotic drink volume. Overseas markets contribute 40% of group sales and profits. Yakult has built a meaningful presence in populated emerging markets, including China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. It plans to step up expansion in the US with a new factory in Georgia, which will triple its US production capacity.
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