Sanrio Co. Ltd., the Tokyo‑listed owner of Hello Kitty and a growing global character empire, is trading slightly lower in Wednesday’s session as the market digests last week’s buyback announcement, strong half‑year results and a new wave of 50th‑anniversary promotions across its character portfolio.
Sanrio stock price today (26 November 2025)
As of 10:32 JST on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Sanrio shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market were quoted at ¥5,265, down ¥31 (-0.59%) from Tuesday’s close of ¥5,296. [1]
Key intraday and valuation metrics from the Tokyo market:
- Open: ¥5,296
- Day’s high / low: ¥5,318 / ¥5,235 (so far) [2]
- Volume (by 10:17): about 3.62 million shares, with turnover of roughly ¥19.1 billion [3]
- Market capitalisation: around ¥1.34 trillion (based on 255.4 million shares outstanding) [4]
- Forward P/E (company forecast): about 25.5x
- P/B: about 8.98x
- Forecast FY3/2026 EPS: ~¥206.81
- Forecast total dividend per share:¥62, implying a 1.18% forward yield at today’s price. [5]
On a 52‑week basis, Sanrio is still trading well below its summer peak: the stock’s year high is ¥8,685 (August 18, 2025) and year low is ¥4,937 (January 21, 2025). At ¥5,265, shares sit roughly 39% under that 52‑week high, though they remain above the year’s trough. [6]
Retail sentiment on Yahoo Finance Japan remains skewed bullish: over 80% of users participating in its weekly poll expect Sanrio’s share price to be higher by the end of the week, and around 70% of message‑board voters tag the stock as “buy” or “strong buy.” [7]
What changed for Sanrio on November 26, 2025?
1. Market recap: a firmer Nikkei, but Sanrio lags
Japanese equities opened higher on Wednesday, with the Nikkei 225 up about 352 points at the start of trade, supported by gains in U.S. stocks and easing concerns around global interest rates. Fisco’s morning commentary highlighted strength in names such as Mitsui Mining & Smelting and Ryohin Keikaku as the index moved higher. [8]
Sanrio, however, is trading modestly in the red despite this firmer backdrop, extending a bout of profit‑taking that began on Tuesday.
2. Previous session recap: Fisco flags Sanrio as a notable loser
In a 07:32 JST note titled “Stocks that moved yesterday (Part 2),” Fisco singled out Sanrio among the previous day’s sharp movers. The stock closed Tuesday at ¥5,296, down ¥226 (-4.1%) from ¥5,522, after rallying earlier on the back of its newly announced share buyback. The note attributed the drop largely to investors locking in gains following that buyback‑driven rebound. [9]
That context helps explain today’s mild softness: Wednesday’s trading so far looks like continued consolidation rather than a new negative catalyst.
3. New brand and product news dropping today
While there have been no fresh earnings or buyback announcements from Sanrio today, the company and its partners did publish several brand‑side updates on November 26 that matter for its long‑term licensing story:
- Little Twin Stars 50th anniversary product line
- At 10:00 JST, Sanrio issued an official press release via PR TIMES announcing the “Starry Angel Design Series” for Little Twin Stars (Kiki & Lala), celebrating the characters’ 50th anniversary and December 24 birthday. [10]
- The line, launching December 4, 2025, includes plush sets, mascot keychains, accessories, bags, blankets, stationery and more—15 items in total—sold across Sanrio shops, department‑store corners and online stores (including its Rakuten and Yahoo! Shopping outlets). [11]
- Sanrio will also roll out limited figures, miniature “secret” charms, store decorations, photo spots and purchase‑based novelties in selected shops as part of the anniversary campaign. [12]
- Black Friday collaboration with fashion chain Shimamura
- Pop culture site Collabo Cafe reported that from today, November 26, “Sanrio Characters × Shimamura” Black Friday‑themed black‑and‑white apparel and lifestyle goods are launching at Fashion Center Shimamura stores nationwide and on the Shimamura online store from 15:00. [13]
- The collection features monochrome designs of Hello Kitty, Bad Badtz‑Maru, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, Hangyodon, Pochacco and other fan favourites, spanning fashion items and daily‑use goods. [14]
These are consumer‑facing announcements rather than market‑moving disclosures, but they reinforce the company’s strategy: keep its character portfolio front‑of‑mind during the critical holiday shopping season and 50th‑anniversary year.
The bigger picture: earnings beat, dividend hike and buyback
To understand today’s muted share move, it’s worth revisiting the busy November news flow around Sanrio.
Strong 1H FY3/2026 results – and a wobble on guidance
On November 5, Sanrio reported results for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026:
- Net sales: ¥87.6 billion, up 39.6% year‑on‑year
- Operating profit: ¥39.1 billion, up 66.1% YoY
- Profit attributable to owners: ¥27.5 billion, up 44.3% YoY [15]
The company also raised its full‑year earnings forecast, reflecting strong momentum in its licensing business, particularly in North America and China, alongside higher attendance at domestic theme parks such as Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland. [16]
However, Reuters noted that the new full‑year outlook still fell short of some bullish market expectations, triggering a sharp, sentiment‑driven selloff: on November 6, Sanrio’s share price plunged more than 15% intraday, briefly trading around ¥6,310 before recovering part of the loss later in the session. [17]
Sanrio subsequently issued a brief correction notice on November 6, clarifying errors in the materials accompanying the results, but the correction did not change the underlying figures. [18]
Dividend uplift with a hint of caution
Alongside those results, Sanrio:
- Increased its interim (second‑quarter) dividend to ¥31 per share,
- Forecast a full‑year dividend of ¥62 per share for FY3/2026,
- While signalling that the year‑end portion would be slightly lower than the previous year’s, even as earnings guidance moved higher. [19]
Analysis from Simply Wall St framed this as a balancing act: management is demonstrating confidence in brand strength and earnings visibility, but also acknowledging higher spending on growth initiatives and external macro risks that could pressure margins if growth slows. [20]
Share buyback: up to 3.3 million shares, ¥15 billion
Perhaps the most stock‑sensitive announcement this month has been Sanrio’s new share repurchase program:
- On November 20–21, Sanrio disclosed plans to buy back up to 3.3 million shares, representing about 1.34–1.35% of shares outstanding, for a maximum of ¥15 billion.
- The repurchase window runs from November 21, 2025, to February 10, 2026. [21]
Fisco and Diamond Zai both highlighted that management explicitly cited share price weakness as a reason for implementing the buyback and indicated that additional repurchases could be considered if attractive investment opportunities are lacking—reinforcing the company’s focus on capital efficiency and shareholder returns. [22]
The market reacted positively at first: Sanrio’s share price surged to around ¥5,476, a strong rebound from earlier levels, before sliding back this week as short‑term traders locked in profits. [23]
Hello Kitty’s 50th and Little Twin Stars’ 50th: why today’s character news matters
Sanrio’s recent financial performance is rooted in something very visible in the real world: anniversary campaigns and global collaborations built around its character IP.
Management’s long‑term vision is IP‑driven
In a recent message to investors, Sanrio’s executive officer in charge of finance emphasised that:
- FY3/2025 saw sales grow 44.9% and operating profit jump 92.2%, reaching record highs for the second straight year, driven by Hello Kitty’s 50th‑anniversary campaigns and broader global brand initiatives.
- North America has become a key profit engine thanks to deals with mass retailers; Europe benefits from fast‑fashion apparel licensing; and Asia, especially mainland China, continues to expand through licensing and store openings. [24]
- The company has raised its FY3/2027 operating profit target from over ¥40 billion to over ¥65 billion, and is aiming for ROE around 30% and a 5‑trillion‑yen market cap by FY3/2035. [25]
That long‑term story gives extra weight to today’s Little Twin Stars 50th‑anniversary launch announcement and the Shimamura Black Friday tie‑up: both represent new content and merchandise feeding into this character‑driven growth engine.
Recent global collaborations and events
Beyond today’s Japan‑focused news, Sanrio has lined up a series of global initiatives that influence how investors view the brand:
- Starbucks x Hello Kitty (U.S. & Canada) – A Starbucks corporate story from October detailed a holiday merchandise collection featuring Hello Kitty plush toys, mugs, tumblers and gift cards, available across Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada from November 6. Starbucks highlighted the alignment between the brands around nostalgia and human connection. [26]
- Anti Social Social Club x Sanrio – Streetwear label ASSC launched a holiday capsule collection mid‑November with Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi and other Sanrio icons, spanning jackets, hoodies, tees and caps, priced between $45 and $129. [27]
- Hello Kitty 50th exhibitions in Japan – Time Out has been covering the “Hello Kitty Exhibition: As I Change, So Does She” at Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, which runs until December 7, 2025 and includes dates such as today, November 26. The show features the largest ever display of Hello Kitty merchandise and collaborative artworks, underscoring the cultural weight of the 50th anniversary. [28]
These initiatives don’t immediately change earnings guidance, but they are exactly the kind of high‑visibility collaborations that Sanrio’s management cites as drivers of licensing revenue and brand equity—and they are happening in parallel with the buyback and dividend story that equity investors watch.
How analysts and valuation look after the correction
Even after the latest pullback, Sanrio is far from a forgotten small‑cap. Coverage and opinion remain active:
- Morgan Stanley upgraded Sanrio from Equalweight to Overweight on October 2, 2025, raising its price target from ¥7,900 to ¥8,600. The bank cited expectations for continued global growth in Sanrio’s business, particularly in China and the United States, driven by the broader popularity of Japanese IP. It viewed the prior share price correction as a “good buying opportunity”, attributing that drop to technical factors like ex‑dividend trading and peer stock moves rather than fundamentals. [29]
- Simply Wall St recently estimated fair value for Sanrio shares at around ¥5,697.50, slightly above today’s price but below where the stock traded earlier this year. Its November 19 article argued that while dividend upgrades and guidance raises support the bullish narrative, investors should also account for spending‑driven margin risks and macro uncertainties. [30]
When set against Yahoo Finance Japan’s forward P/E of about 25–26x and P/B near 9x, these viewpoints suggest that Sanrio is not obviously “cheap” on traditional multiples, but the market is paying up for IP strength, earnings growth and shareholder‑return policies. [31]
What to watch next if you follow Sanrio stock
For investors tracking Sanrio Co. Ltd. (TSE:8136), today’s modest dip sits within a bigger arc shaped by earnings, buybacks and character‑IP momentum. Key things to watch over the coming weeks include:
- Execution of the buyback – How aggressively management purchases shares within the ¥15 billion / 3.3‑million‑share limit between now and February 10, 2026, and whether it signals room for further buybacks under the mid‑term capital‑allocation framework. [32]
- Holiday‑season sales data – Performance of collaborations such as Starbucks x Hello Kitty, the ASSC capsule, Little Twin Stars 50th merchandise and Shimamura’s Black Friday collection, especially in key markets like North America and Japan. [33]
- Theme park and experiential demand – Visitor trends at Sanrio Puroland, Harmonyland and special exhibitions like the Kyoto Hello Kitty show, which help translate brand awareness into high‑margin experiences. [34]
- Next earnings release – The company’s next scheduled update (currently indicated around February 2026) will show how much of the current licensing and anniversary momentum is flowing through to revenue and profit, and whether management adjusts its full‑year targets again. [35]
References
1. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 2. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 3. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 4. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 5. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 6. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 7. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 8. minkabu.jp, 9. minkabu.jp, 10. prtimes.jp, 11. prtimes.jp, 12. prtimes.jp, 13. collabo-cafe.com, 14. collabo-cafe.com, 15. corporate.sanrio.co.jp, 16. www.tipranks.com, 17. jp.reuters.com, 18. finance-frontend-pc-dist.west.edge.storage-yahoo.jp, 19. simplywall.st, 20. simplywall.st, 21. web.fisco.jp, 22. diamond.jp, 23. diamond.jp, 24. corporate.sanrio.co.jp, 25. corporate.sanrio.co.jp, 26. about.starbucks.com, 27. hypebeast.com, 28. www.timeout.com, 29. www.investing.com, 30. simplywall.st, 31. finance.yahoo.co.jp, 32. web.fisco.jp, 33. about.starbucks.com, 34. www.timeout.com, 35. www.investing.com
