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44182026 Q2 / First HalfGrowthJGAAP

Japan Data Science Consortium (4418) FY2026 Q2 Earnings Report

For FY2026 Q2, revenue came to ¥11.2B (-6.3% year on year) and operating income ¥314.0M (-4.5%). The segment drivers and cash flow follow.

IT & Services, Others/Information & Communication


Quick View

MetricCurrentPriorYoY
Revenue¥111.8B¥119.4B−6.3%
Operating Income¥3.1B¥3.3B−4.5%
Ordinary Income¥2.8B¥2.9B−1.9%
Net Income¥2.6B¥1.5B+71.4%
ROE4.2%3.9%-

Executive Summary

FY2026 Q2 results show revenue of 111.8 billion yen (YoY -6.3%), operating income of 3.1 billion yen (YoY -4.5%), ordinary income of 2.8 billion yen (YoY -1.9%), and net income of 2.6 billion yen (YoY +71.4%). While top-line contracted and operating profit declined modestly, bottom-line profit surged primarily due to extraordinary gains including subsidiary stock disposal proceeds of 0.97 billion yen. EPS increased to 15.80 yen from 7.74 yen, up 104.1% YoY. Total assets expanded to 100.3 billion yen from 79.9 billion yen, driven by equity capital increase of 22.7 billion yen through significant financing activities. Operating cash flow deteriorated sharply to -4.7 billion yen, resulting in negative free cash flow of -2.5 billion yen despite positive investing cash inflow from asset disposals.

Performance Drivers

Revenue declined 7.5 billion yen YoY to 111.8 billion yen, representing a -6.3% contraction. The AI Solution segment generated revenue of 1.95 billion yen with operating income of 0.23 billion yen, while Financial Advisory segment contributed revenue of 0.24 billion yen with operating income of 0.08 billion yen. Combined segment revenue of 2.19 billion yen represents only 2.0% of total consolidated revenue, indicating these segments constitute emerging business lines rather than core operations. The primary revenue decline occurred in non-segment business areas, though specific drivers are not disclosed in available data. Gross profit margin stood at 12.0%, down from implied higher levels in the prior year given the revenue decline outpaced cost of sales reduction. Operating income decreased 0.2 billion yen to 3.1 billion yen, with operating margin compressed to 2.8% from 2.8% in the prior period. SG&A expenses of 10.3 billion yen included personnel costs of 3.85 billion yen as the largest component. Non-operating income and expenses resulted in a net deduction of 0.3 billion yen, bringing ordinary income to 2.8 billion yen. The substantial divergence between ordinary income of 2.8 billion yen and net income of 2.6 billion yen reflects extraordinary gains of 0.97 billion yen from subsidiary stock disposal, partially offset by tax expenses. Without this non-recurring gain, net income would have remained below prior year levels. This represents a revenue decline with profit decline pattern at the operating level, but an exceptional bottom-line improvement driven by one-time asset disposal gains rather than operational performance.

Segment Analysis

AI Solution segment recorded revenue of 1.95 billion yen with operating income of 0.23 billion yen, yielding an operating margin of 11.7%. Financial Advisory segment achieved revenue of 0.24 billion yen with operating income of 0.08 billion yen, delivering a superior operating margin of 34.8%. Despite higher profitability in Financial Advisory, AI Solution represents the larger segment by revenue scale with 89.2% share of reported segment revenue, though both segments combined account for only 2.0% of total consolidated revenue. The margin differential of 23.1 percentage points suggests significantly different business models, with Financial Advisory operating as a high-margin advisory service and AI Solution requiring higher cost structure typical of technology delivery businesses. Neither segment represents the core business based on revenue contribution, indicating the primary operations reside in unreported business areas that generated the remaining 109.6 billion yen of revenue.

Key Metrics

[Profitability] ROE of 4.2% declined from the implied prior period level, remaining below the industry median of 5.6%. Operating margin of 2.8% substantially underperforms the industry median of 14.0%, ranking in the bottom tier of the IT and telecom sector. Net profit margin of 2.3% also trails the industry median of 9.2%. Gross profit margin of 12.0% reflects a low-margin business structure. [Cash Quality] Cash and deposits of 45.8 billion yen cover short-term liabilities of 24.2 billion yen 1.89 times, indicating adequate liquidity buffer. Operating cash flow to net income ratio of -2.04 times signals material quality concerns, as accounting profits are not converting to cash. [Investment Efficiency] Asset turnover of 1.12 times significantly exceeds the industry median of 0.35 times, suggesting intensive asset utilization. Return on assets of 2.6% marginally exceeds the industry median of 1.9%. Days sales outstanding reached 98 days, longer than the industry median of 117 days but still indicating collection pressure given cash flow deterioration. [Financial Health] Equity ratio of 61.5% aligns closely with the industry median of 60.2%, maintaining solid capitalization. Current ratio of 318.5% substantially exceeds the industry median of 7.74 times, reflecting exceptional short-term liquidity. Debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16 based on interest-bearing debt of 10.1 billion yen against equity of 61.7 billion yen demonstrates conservative leverage. Net debt to EBITDA of 2.84 times remains manageable with interest coverage of 24.9 times providing substantial debt service capacity.

Cash Flow Analysis

Operating cash flow of -4.7 billion yen represents -2.04 times net income, indicating substantial divergence between accrual earnings and cash generation. The primary driver of operating cash outflow was working capital deterioration, with accounts receivable increasing 5.67 billion yen and absorbing cash despite operating income generation. Investing cash flow of 2.2 billion yen reflected proceeds from subsidiary stock disposal of 3.0 billion yen, partially offset by capital expenditures of 0.5 billion yen. CapEx to depreciation ratio of 1.11 times indicates modest growth investment continuing. Financing cash flow of 20.5 billion yen was dominated by equity issuance proceeds of approximately 19.96 billion yen, fundamentally reshaping the capital structure. Free cash flow of -2.5 billion yen demonstrates inability to self-fund operations and investments from business activities during the period. The 18.1 billion yen increase in cash and deposits to 45.8 billion yen stemmed entirely from external financing rather than operational cash generation, raising sustainability concerns if working capital efficiency and receivables collection do not improve in subsequent periods.

Earnings Quality

Ordinary income of 2.8 billion yen compared to operating income of 3.1 billion yen reflects non-operating expenses of 0.3 billion yen, primarily comprising interest expenses and other financial costs. Non-operating expenses represent 0.3% of revenue, a modest drag on operating performance. The significant gap between ordinary income of 2.8 billion yen and net income of 2.6 billion yen arose from extraordinary gains of 0.97 billion yen from subsidiary stock disposal, constituting a material non-recurring item representing 0.9% of revenue. Excluding this one-time gain, normalized net income would approximate 1.6 billion yen, only modestly above the prior year's 1.5 billion yen. Operating cash flow of -4.7 billion yen substantially trails net income, indicating deteriorating earnings quality with accruals of 7.0 billion yen. The cash conversion ratio of -2.04 times falls well below the industry median of 1.22 times, signaling that reported profits are not translating to realized cash due to working capital absorption, particularly accounts receivable expansion of 5.67 billion yen. This divergence between accounting earnings and cash generation raises concerns about revenue recognition timing, collection effectiveness, and underlying business economics. The reliance on non-recurring gains to drive net income growth further diminishes earnings quality and sustainability of the reported profit improvement.

Guidance Update

Full-year guidance projects revenue of 231.0 billion yen and operating income of 7.5 billion yen. Through Q2, revenue progress reached 48.4% of the full-year target, slightly below the standard 50% benchmark, suggesting modest second-half acceleration required. Operating income progress of 41.9% trails the expected 50% midpoint by 8.1 percentage points, indicating significant profit improvement needed in the second half to achieve guidance. The implied second-half operating margin would need to reach 3.5% compared to Q2's 2.8%, requiring either revenue recovery or cost reduction initiatives to materialize. Given Q2's operating cash flow deterioration and working capital pressures, achieving the 29.0% YoY operating income growth embedded in full-year guidance presents execution risk. The company maintains zero dividend forecast for the full year, consistent with prioritizing capital preservation amid cash flow challenges.

Risk Factors

Revenue collection risk represents the most immediate concern, with accounts receivable increasing 5.67 billion yen YoY and days sales outstanding reaching 98 days, driving operating cash flow negative by 4.7 billion yen. If collection efficiency does not improve, the company may face recurring working capital drains that necessitate continued external financing despite generating accounting profits. Profitability structure vulnerability stems from gross margin of 12.0% and operating margin of 2.8%, both substantially below industry medians of 20% and 14.0% respectively, leaving minimal buffer against pricing pressure or cost inflation. Any further revenue decline without commensurate cost reduction would rapidly compress already thin margins. Intangible asset concentration poses impairment risk, with intangible assets of 17.16 billion yen and goodwill of 5.95 billion yen totaling 23.1% of total assets. If business performance deteriorates or acquisition synergies fail to materialize, potential impairment charges could materially impact equity and reported earnings.

Industry Benchmark (Reference - Proprietary Data)

[Industry Position] (Reference - Proprietary Analysis) The company's profitability metrics trail IT and telecom sector peers significantly. Operating margin of 2.8% ranks well below the industry median of 14.0%, placing the company in the bottom quartile for operational efficiency. Net profit margin of 2.3% similarly lags the industry median of 9.2%, reflecting both lower operating leverage and business model characteristics. ROE of 4.2% falls short of the industry median of 5.6%, indicating subpar return generation on shareholder equity. Asset turnover of 1.12 times substantially exceeds the industry median of 0.35 times, demonstrating the company operates an asset-light, high-velocity revenue model requiring intensive working capital management. However, this velocity advantage has not translated to superior profitability. The equity ratio of 61.5% aligns with the industry median of 60.2%, maintaining comparable financial stability. Current ratio of 318.5% far exceeds the industry median of 7.74 times, reflecting exceptional liquidity positioning supported by recent equity capital raise. Revenue growth of -6.3% sharply underperforms the industry median growth of 21.0%, indicating market share loss or end-market weakness specific to the company's exposure. Cash conversion ratio of -2.04 times significantly trails the industry median of 1.22 times, highlighting acute working capital management challenges. Operating working capital turnover of 98 days compares favorably to the industry median of 114.5 days, though the absolute cash collection performance remains problematic. The company's financial profile reflects a high-turnover, low-margin business model struggling with profitability and cash conversion relative to higher-margin software and telecom peers. (Industry: IT and Telecom, N=7 companies, Comparison: 2025-Q2 period, Source: Proprietary analysis)

Key Takeaways from Earnings

Net income growth of 71.4% was predominantly driven by non-recurring subsidiary stock disposal gains of 0.97 billion yen rather than operational improvement, with underlying operating profit declining 4.5% YoY. This extraordinary item contributed approximately 37% of reported net income, indicating profit quality concerns that warrant adjustment when assessing sustainable earnings power. The second significant characteristic involves severe operating cash flow deterioration to -4.7 billion yen despite positive net income of 2.6 billion yen, driven by accounts receivable expansion of 5.67 billion yen. This divergence between accrual profits and cash generation signals working capital management challenges that must be resolved to restore self-funding capacity. The third notable trend is the company's capital structure transformation through equity issuance of approximately 19.96 billion yen, increasing total equity to 61.7 billion yen from 39.0 billion yen and establishing a substantial cash buffer of 45.8 billion yen. This financing provides runway to address operational challenges, though it also represents significant shareholder dilution with average shares outstanding reaching 14.6 million. The continuation of zero dividend policy alongside negative free cash flow reinforces that capital allocation priorities center on operational stabilization rather than shareholder distributions until sustainable cash generation resumes.


This report was automatically generated by AI analyzing XBRL earnings data as an earnings analysis tool. This is not a recommendation to invest in any specific security. Industry benchmarks are reference information compiled from publicly available earnings data. Please make investment decisions at your own responsibility and consult professionals as needed.


AI Financial Analysis

Executive Summary

FY2026 Q2 performance was mixed: revenue and operating profit declined modestly, while profit attributable to owners more than doubled on non-recurring gains and a lower tax charge. Revenue was ¥11.18bn, down 6.3% year on year. Operating income was ¥314m, down 4.5% year on year. Ordinary income declined 1.9% to ¥284m. Profit attributable to owners rose 117.9% to ¥231m, equivalent to basic EPS of ¥15.80. The gross margin improved to 12.0% from approximately 10.0% a year earlier, an expansion of about 200 basis points. The operating margin was broadly stable at 2.8%, improving by roughly 5 basis points despite the revenue contraction. This shows that the company preserved operating profitability through improved gross profitability and cost discipline, although the absolute margin remains low for an IT-oriented business. SG&A increased to ¥1.03bn from ¥867m, with salaries and allowances rising to ¥385m from ¥318m, indicating continued investment in personnel despite lower sales. Consequently, operating leverage remains constrained, as SG&A grew while revenue declined. Net income growth was not fully recurring because extraordinary income of ¥97m exceeded extraordinary losses of ¥55m, creating a net extraordinary gain of approximately ¥42m. The effective tax rate declined to 21.0% from the prior-period level, further supporting net income growth. Cash earnings quality was weak, as operating cash flow was negative ¥470m despite ¥231m of profit attributable to owners. The main cash-flow pressure was a ¥567m increase in trade receivables, which more than offset the positive earnings contribution. Liquidity is nevertheless very strong, with cash and deposits of ¥4.58bn and a current ratio of 318.5%. The balance sheet was strengthened by ¥2.00bn of stock issuance proceeds, lifting total equity to ¥6.17bn. Full-year guidance calls for revenue of ¥23.10bn and operating income of ¥750m, implying that the second half must deliver a clear acceleration in sales growth and margin conversion. The key forward-looking issue is whether receivable growth reverses into operating cash inflow while the company restores revenue momentum without allowing personnel costs to outpace gross profit growth.

Profitability Analysis

The reported annualized ROE is 7.5%, below the 8% level generally associated with adequate returns. The reported annualized DuPont decomposition is net profit margin of 2.1%, asset turnover of 2.230x, and financial leverage of 1.63x. Low net profitability is the principal constraint on shareholder returns, rather than weak asset utilization or excessive leverage. The 2.1% net margin reflects an EBIT margin of 2.8%, which is below the 5% operating-efficiency benchmark. Gross margin improved substantially to 12.0%, by approximately 200 basis points year on year, and this was the most constructive movement within the operating model. However, the gross-margin improvement translated into only a roughly 5-basis-point operating-margin improvement because SG&A rose 18.6% year on year while revenue declined 6.3%. Salaries and allowances increased 21.0% to ¥385m, suggesting that the cost base is being positioned for future delivery capacity but currently dilutes operating leverage. EBITDA was ¥355m and the EBITDA margin was 3.2%, confirming that profitability remains modest even before depreciation and amortization. Under JGAAP, goodwill amortization was ¥17m, or about 4.8% of EBITDA; this is a limited, rather than material, distortion to comparability with IFRS peers. EBITDA before goodwill amortization was ¥372m. The five-factor analysis shows a tax burden of 0.707, which is normal, and an interest burden of 1.041, indicating that non-operating and extraordinary items more than offset the interest burden at the pre-tax-profit level. Interest coverage was strong at 24.92x, so interest cost is not a near-term drag on earnings. The principal profitability requirement is a sustained lift in gross profit dollars that exceeds growth in payroll and other SG&A, allowing the improved gross-margin profile to convert into a materially higher operating margin.

Growth Assessment

Revenue contraction of 6.3% in Q2 indicates that top-line momentum remains the central operating challenge. The full-year sales forecast of ¥23.10bn implies a first-half progress rate of 48.4%, 1.6 percentage points below the standard 50% midpoint pace. This shortfall is modest, but it requires a stronger second half to achieve the forecasted 0.2% full-year revenue growth. Operating-income progress was 41.9% against the ¥750m full-year target, which is 8.1 percentage points below the standard 50% benchmark. While this does not breach a 10-percentage-point deviation threshold, the planned second-half improvement is meaningful because full-year operating income guidance implies 29.0% growth. The Q2 gross-margin improvement is encouraging and provides a potential foundation for the expected profit recovery. Nevertheless, personnel costs rose materially despite the sales decline, so revenue growth must resume for the fixed cost base to be absorbed efficiently. Operating income declined less than revenue, demonstrating some resilience in the underlying cost structure. Profit attributable to owners should not be extrapolated directly because its growth was assisted by a net extraordinary gain of approximately ¥42m. The addition of one newly consolidated subsidiary and exclusion of one subsidiary may also affect comparability and execution requirements. Growth quality in the second half should be assessed through revenue conversion into receivables and operating cash flow, rather than earnings alone.

Financial Health

Financial health is solid from a liquidity and capital-adequacy perspective. Current assets of ¥7.71bn exceeded current liabilities of ¥2.42bn by ¥5.29bn, producing working capital of ¥5.29bn. The current ratio and quick ratio were both 318.5%, comfortably above healthy thresholds and indicating no near-term maturity mismatch. Cash and deposits increased 65.1% year on year to ¥4.58bn and represented 45.7% of total assets. This cash increase was primarily supported by financing inflows, including ¥2.00bn of proceeds from stock issuance, rather than internally generated operating cash flow. Total equity increased to ¥6.17bn from ¥3.90bn, and the capital adequacy ratio improved to 60.1% from 47.4%. Reported debt-to-equity was 0.63x, below the 1.0x conservative benchmark and well below the 2.0x warning threshold. Debt-to-capital was 14.1%, also consistent with a conservatively capitalized balance sheet. Debt/EBITDA was 2.84x, moderately above the 2.5x investment-grade reference point but comfortably below the 4.0x high-yield warning level. Interest coverage of 24.92x and EBITDA interest coverage of 28.21x indicate ample capacity to service interest costs. Long-term loans were ¥1.01bn, while the current portion of long-term loans was ¥254m; substantial cash and current assets provide adequate coverage. Goodwill was ¥595m, or 9.6% of equity and 1.67x EBITDA, both within healthy M&A-risk ranges. Intangible assets represented 17.1% of assets, remaining within the balanced benchmark range. PPE increased 66.5% to ¥110m, consistent with a modest increase in operating investment rather than an asset-intensity concern. Retained earnings moved from a deficit of ¥81m to positive ¥150m, improving accumulated profitability and equity quality. No segment-level impairment or goodwill impairment was reported.

Notable B/S Changes

Cash and deposits: +¥1.81bn (+65.1%) to ¥4.58bn — liquidity increased materially, principally alongside ¥2.00bn of stock issuance proceeds and ¥2.05bn of financing cash inflow; this strengthens funding capacity but does not offset weak operating cash conversion. Retained earnings: +¥231m (+284.3%) to ¥150m — accumulated earnings moved into a positive balance, supporting improved equity quality and capital adequacy. Property, plant and equipment: +¥44m (+66.5%) to ¥110m — reflects increased tangible investment, though PPE remains only 1.1% of total assets and does not materially increase capital intensity.

Cash Flow Quality

Cash-flow quality is the principal financial concern in the quarter. Operating cash flow was negative ¥470m, compared with profit attributable to owners of ¥231m. The OCF-to-net-income ratio was negative 2.04x, materially below the 0.8x warning threshold. Cash conversion, measured as OCF/EBITDA, was negative 1.32x, also well below the 0.7x concern threshold. The primary driver was a ¥567m increase in trade receivables, representing a substantial use of cash relative to quarterly profitability. Trade payables increased by only ¥39m, providing limited offset to the receivable build. Income taxes paid were ¥194m, adding to operating cash outflow. Contract liabilities declined by ¥33m, which also reduced operating cash conversion. The accruals ratio was 7.0%, above the 5% high-quality reference but below the 10% elevated-risk threshold; this is consistent with a meaningful, but not extreme, accrual component to earnings. Reported free cash flow was negative ¥247m, indicating that internally generated cash did not cover capital commitments under the reported measure. Capital expenditures were ¥46m and capex/depreciation was 1.11x, indicating that the company is at least maintaining or modestly expanding its productive asset base. Investing cash flow was positive ¥223m, principally supported by ¥300m of proceeds from sales of shares in subsidiaries and affiliates; this is not a recurring substitute for operating cash generation. Financing cash flow of ¥2.05bn funded the overall cash increase, led by the ¥2.00bn equity issuance. The immediate liquidity position is ample, but sustainable cash-flow quality requires collections from receivables and a normalization of working-capital absorption.

Dividend Sustainability

The company paid no Q2 dividend and its full-year dividend forecast is also ¥0 per share. Accordingly, there is no current dividend payout burden on earnings or free cash flow. The absence of dividends preserves financial flexibility while the company funds growth investment, working capital, and integration activity. Given negative operating cash flow and negative reported free cash flow in Q2, retaining cash is financially prudent. The strengthened equity base and high cash balance provide capacity for future shareholder distributions, but the relevant prerequisite would be sustained positive operating cash conversion rather than cash accumulated through financing. With no dividend and immaterial share repurchases, there is no meaningful payout ratio or total return ratio to assess for this period.

Risk Assessment

Business risks include Revenue execution risk: Q2 revenue fell 6.3% year on year, while achievement of the full-year plan requires a return to growth in the second half., Low-margin business-model risk: the 12.0% gross margin and 2.8% EBIT margin leave limited room to absorb project-cost overruns, pricing pressure, or utilization declines., Personnel-cost risk: salaries and allowances increased 21.0% while revenue declined, creating operating-leverage risk if demand recovery is delayed., IT-services industry risk: project delivery delays, customer budget reductions, talent retention costs, and rapid technology change can reduce utilization and compress margins., Receivable collection risk: accounts receivable of ¥3.01bn equal 30.0% of total assets, and the ¥567m quarterly increase requires timely conversion into cash..

Financial risks include Earnings-quality risk: OCF/net income of negative 2.04x is concerning because reported earnings did not convert into operating cash., Cash-conversion risk: OCF/EBITDA of negative 1.32x indicates that EBITDA is not currently funding working-capital needs., Funding-quality risk: the ¥1.81bn net increase in cash was driven principally by financing cash flow and stock issuance, rather than operations., Debt-service sensitivity: debt/EBITDA of 2.84x is manageable, but improvement in EBITDA and cash conversion is needed to move below the 2.5x reference level., M&A and intangible-asset risk: goodwill and intangible assets total ¥2.31bn; ratios remain healthy, but value realization depends on maintaining acquired-business performance..

Key concerns include Highest priority: conversion of the receivables build into operating cash flow in the second half., Highest priority: delivery of 58.1% of full-year operating-income guidance in the second half, versus 41.9% achieved in the first half., High priority: evidence that the gross-margin improvement is sustainable and can outpace continued growth in personnel expenses., Moderate priority: the portion of net-income growth attributable to the approximately ¥42m net extraordinary gain rather than recurring operations., Moderate priority: preservation of balance-sheet discipline following the substantial equity financing and changes in the consolidation perimeter..

Investment Implications

Key takeaways include Gross-margin improvement of approximately 200 basis points is the most positive operational development, but operating margin remains low at 2.8%., The first-half operating-income progress rate of 41.9% requires meaningful second-half acceleration to meet the ¥750m full-year target., Net-income growth is flattered by a net extraordinary gain and therefore exceeds the improvement in recurring profitability., The balance sheet is liquid and well capitalized, with ¥4.58bn of cash, a 318.5% current ratio, and 60.1% capital adequacy., Negative operating cash flow caused by receivables growth is the key quality issue and should be monitored more closely than the cash balance alone., JGAAP goodwill amortization is modest at ¥17m, or approximately 4.8% of EBITDA, so goodwill accounting is not a major source of earnings distortion..

Metrics to watch include Second-half revenue growth versus the ¥23.10bn full-year sales forecast, Second-half operating income and operating-margin progression toward the ¥750m full-year target, Trade receivables and operating cash flow, particularly reversal of the ¥567m receivables-related cash outflow, Gross margin sustainability above the Q2 12.0% level, SG&A and salary growth relative to revenue and gross-profit growth, Debt/EBITDA relative to the 2.5x reference level, Goodwill, intangible-asset balances, and any impairment indicators following consolidation changes.

Regarding relative positioning, JDSC combines strong liquidity, modest financial leverage, and manageable goodwill exposure with profitability and cash-conversion metrics that remain below preferred IT-services benchmarks. Its relative financial position is stronger than its current earnings quality: capital structure and interest coverage are sound, whereas the low EBIT margin, negative cash conversion, and need for second-half operating acceleration remain the principal fundamental issues.