February is the month for “food” shareholder special benefits! From Aeon cash reduction, Yoshinoya, Muji… to the surprising stocks with yields of over 50%!

As food prices continue to rise, many people may be feeling the strain on their household budgets. It is precisely in times like these that shareholder special benefits with their “power to reduce spending” are a reassuring ally. In particular, February is a particularly good month for stocks with “food” benefits that can be used, such as AEON’s up to 7% discount and Yoshinoya’s free meal coupons.

If you can use these special offers at restaurants you use often, you can save money on food expenses. The appeal of special offers is that they allow you to enjoy a little luxury at a discount. Instead of just bemoaning the high cost of living, why not take the first step toward countering it by investing in stocks?

The royal road to saving on food costs!　Aeon’s Best Special Benefit Plan

The Aeon Group, which operates nationwide, has 11 listed companies, nine of which offer shareholder special benefits related to food.

While local specialties and company products are attractive, benefits that make everyday shopping more economical, such as cash redemption and discount coupons, are more “ helpful” benefits, even if they are not so popular. The Aeon Group’s benefits are easy to use because they can be used at many stores.

Cash back” of up to 7% discount (Aeon (8267))

AEON (8267), the core company of the AEON Group, issues “Shareholder’s Benefit Cards (Owner’s Cards)” to shareholders who hold at least 100 shares at the end of February and August.

When shareholders present their Owner’s Card at participating Aeon Group stores such asAeon, Aeon Style, The Big, Maxvalu, and Maibasuketto, a certain percentage of the purchase price is returned in cash or WAON points, depending on the number of shares they hold (the return is every six months, in cash). (Redemption is semi-annually, and payment must be made with cash, WAON, AEON card, or other eligible payment methods).

The redemption rate is 1% for holdings of 100 shares or more, with a maximum of 7% (for holdings of 9,000 shares or more). The maximum amount of purchases eligible for redemption is 1 million yen in a six-month period, and depending on the redemption rate, a maximum of 10,000 to 70,000 yen (20,000 to 140,000 yen per year) can be redeemed. The card can also be used in combination with “shareholder discount coupons (100 yen discount coupons) ” (see below) issued by group companies.

The Owner’s Card also offers “preferential discounts” at AEON Group stores. For example, at AEON CINEMA, the regular movie admission fee of 1,800 yen for adults is always 1,000 yen, which is a great benefit for movie lovers.

In September 2013, AEON (8267) conducted a three-for-one stock split, which reduced the share price by about one-third. In line with this, the shareholder special benefit program was expanded, and the minimum investment required to obtain the special benefit was also reduced to about one-third, making it easier to receive the special benefit. The minimum investment required remains unchanged, as the number of shares required for the 3-7% rate of return has been changed in accordance with the split ratio.

Aeon Kyushu (2653) offers a 100 yen discount for every 1,000 yen spent on daily purchases!AEON Kyushu (2653), United Supermarket Holdings (3222), etc.

Five Aeon Group companies, including Aeon Hokkaido (7512), Aeon Kyushu (2653), Maxvalu Tokai (8198), Fuji (8278), and United Supermarket Holdings (3222), offer “shareholder gift coupons (100 yen discount coupons)” for shopping at participating stores as a special benefit for shareholders. (3222) offer “Shareholder Discount Coupons (100 yen discount coupons)” that can be used for purchases at participating stores. The coupons can be used for one coupon (100 yen) per 1,000 yen including tax, which means that the coupon can be used for up to one discount on everyday purchases.

The number of coupons you can earn and the stores where you can use them vary depending on the stock.

The stock with the highest number of coupons for the amount invested (i.e., the stock with the highest yield) is “United Supermarket Holdings (3222)” (approximately 6.17% yield when holding 100 shares), which offers 60 coupons per year for an investment of approximately 100,000 yen.

However, the stores where the coupons can be used are limited to those operated byMaruetsu, Kasumi, Inageya, andMaxValu Kanto, which are supermarkets mainly located in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This is advantageous for those who use these stores on a regular basis, but it is a waste of money for those who do not have access to such stores in their neighborhood.

Among the remaining four stocks, AEON Kyushu (2653) has the highest benefit yield (approximately 3.42% when holding 100 shares), which can be used at AEON, Maxvalu, and other stores nationwide.

If you want to earn benefits with a smaller investment, “AEON HOKKAIDO (7512 )” is an option, offering 25 coupons (worth 2,500 yen) per year for an investment of 100 shares, or just over 90,000 yen (approximately 2.67% yield for 100 shares).

Fuji (8278) is a candidate for those who live in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Hyogo areas and use supermarkets such asFuji andMaruetsu on a regular basis (benefit yield of approximately 2.77% for 100 shares).

MaxValu Tokai (8198) is slightly inferior to Fuji (8278) in terms of its yield on benefits, but it has the highest dividend yield among the five stocks. It is also possible to receive special benefit items such as rice and meat instead of special benefit coupons. It is a good candidate for those who want to earn dividends while aiming for special benefits, and for those who want to diversify their investments across multiple stocks to efficiently earn special benefits.

■Popular restaurant stocks that can be targeted at under 100,000 yen [Create restaurants HD (3387)

Create restaurants HD (3387) is a company that operates a wide range of restaurant businesses, including restaurants, izakaya (Japanese style pubs), and bakeries.

Representative brands include “Shabu-Na ” (all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu sukiyaki), “MACCHA HOUSE ” (green tea drinks and sweets), “Hinazushi ” (all-you-can-eat premium sushi), ” Isomaru Suisan” ( seafood tavern), and “Saint Germain” (bakery).

Shareholders who hold 100 or more shares of create restaurants hd (3387) at the end of February and August will receive “shareholder discount coupons (meal coupons)” that can be used at participating stores according to the number of shares held.

The yield on a 100-share holding is approximately 4%.

If one holds 800 or more shares for more than one year, he or she will receive an additional 2,000 yen worth of meal coupons every six months, or 4,000 yen per year.

Gyudon” meal coupons that will not be defeated by price hikes [Yoshinoya HD (9861)

Yoshinoya HD (9861), which operates the Yoshinoya beef bowl chain, is another stock offering special benefits in February (and August).

Shareholders who hold 100 or more shares of Yoshinoya HD (9861) at the end of February and August will receive 500 yen service coupons for Yoshinoya and other restaurants, depending on the number of shares held.

Although the benefit yield has declined slightly due to a reduction in the benefit amount and an increase in the share price, this is one of the stocks that beef bowl lovers should target. The highest benefit yield is obtained by owning 200 shares.

Incidentally, Matsuya (Matsuya Foods HD (9887)) and Sukiya (Zensho HD (7550)) are both special benefit stocks for March (and September).

Coco Ichi…yields about 4% with dividend + benefits! Ichibanya (7630).

Ichibanya (7630) operates the curry specialty restaurant “Curry House CoCo Ichibanya,” nicknamed “Coco Ichi-chi.

Shareholders who hold 100 or more shares of Ichibanya (7630) at the end of February and August will receive a 500-yen shareholder coupon that can be used at Curry House CoCo Ichibanya andPasta de Coco, a spaghetti and bean paste restaurant, depending on the number of shares held.

The company offers a yield of approximately 2.18% for a 100-share holding, or 4% including dividends.

MUJI offers 7% off “as many times as you like” [Ryohin Keikaku (7453)

Ryohin Keikaku (7453) is the operator of MUJI, which offers everything from groceries to daily necessities, clothing, furniture, and home appliances.

Shareholders who hold 100 or more shares of Ryohin Keikaku (7453) at the end of February and August will receive a “MUJI App” electronic coupon for 7% off purchases at “MUJI” and other stores. The coupon can be used repeatedly during the validity period.

Ryohin Keikaku (7453) will convert its shareholder special benefit program to an electronic format starting from the record date of the end of February 2014, and the conventional paper shareholder special benefit program (shareholder card) will be discontinued. With the digitization, the benefits can now be used at MUJI’s online store, making them easier to use.

■”Treasure” stocks with yields exceeding 50%? Regional Newspaper Company (2164)

Chiiki Shinbunsha (2164) is a company that distributes the free newspaper Chiiki Shinbun mainly in Chiba Prefecture.

Shareholders who hold 100 or more shares of Chiiki Shinbunsha (2164) at the end of February will receive discount coupons that can be used at the company’s online shopping site “Chiiki no Ippin,” which sells specialty products of Chiba Prefecture, and at restaurants, hotels, etc. in Chiba Prefecture.

The total value of the discount coupons for a 100-share holding is 19,000 yen, which represents an impressive 50% yield. The benefit is a “discount” and there are restrictions on the products that can be purchased and the locations where they can be used. Nevertheless, the investment required for 100 shares is less than 40,000 yen. If you are interested in the products of “Chiiki no Ippin” and the stores and hotels eligible for the discount can be checked on the website of the regional newspaper company, you may consider investing.

In order to acquire the right to receive shareholder special benefits, you must purchase shares by the final day of the rights period and become a shareholder as of the record date. The record date for all the stocks introduced in this article is the end of February, and the final day for rights in ’26 is “February 25 (Wed.).

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any particular stock. Final investment decisions should be made at your own discretion. The yields on special benefits in this article are calculated based on the special benefits and stock price (closing price) as of the time of writing (February 6, 2014) (yields may change due to changes in special benefits or stock price fluctuations).