# Kuraray (3405.JP)

Canonical: https://gigainvestors.com/s/3405.JP

Analysis as of: 2026-10-15T07:09:51.588Z. Financial observations: FY2012–FY2025.

Listing currency: JPY. Reporting currency: JPY.

## Verdict

Not a wonderful business

Quality tests for Buy: not passed (profit record: pass; earnings resilience is evidence only). Published buy qualification: no.

Share price: JPY 1,863.00 per share; close as of 2026-10-15.

Estimated value: low JPY 2,007.78 per share, central JPY 2,244.70 per share, high JPY 2,560.08 per share. Buy at or below the central value JPY 2,244.70 per share. Valuation as of 2026-10-15T07:09:51.588Z; scenarios are not confidence intervals.

Expected annual return: 11.8% at the stated quote. About 11.8% a year at today's price (required return 10.0%). required return 10.0% a year (10% floor; JP 10-year bond 2.9% + 4 points).

## Checklist

### understandable: pass

- 4 revenue declines in the last 10 years (informational)

- Financial history: 10 years

- Years with declining revenue: 4

- Years with a net loss: 1

- Operating margin variation: 0.21×

Chart: Operating margin; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: 0.14×

- FY2017: 0.15×

- FY2018: 0.11×

- FY2019: 0.09×

- FY2020: 0.08×

- FY2021: 0.11×

- FY2022: 0.12×

- FY2023: 0.10×

- FY2024: 0.10×

- FY2025: 0.07×

### moat: fail

- ROIC median below threshold

- ROIC worst years below threshold (more than 1 bad year allowed)

- ROIC, median of available years: 6.9%

- ROIC, second-lowest year: 4.8%

- Typical minus recent gross margin: 1.4 pp

- Typical gross margin (annual median): 31.9%

- Recent gross margin (lower of latest and 3-year median): 30.5%

- Years with nonpositive capital: 0

- Capital spending / revenue: 10.8%

- ROIC including acquisitions, ten-year median: 5.1%

Chart: ROIC excluding acquisitions; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: 10.1%

- FY2017: 12.3%

- FY2018: 7.5%

- FY2019: 5.9%

- FY2020: 4.8%

- FY2021: 7.2%

- FY2022: 7.9%

- FY2023: 6.5%

- FY2024: 6.6%

- FY2025: 4.4%

### economics: fail

- incremental invested capital return below threshold

- Owner earnings / net income, 5-yr: 1.13×

- Cash conversion uses consolidated totals: No

- Owner earnings, five-year total: JPY 196B

- Net income, five-year total: JPY 173B

- Return on incremental invested capital: -1.6%

- Working capital / revenue, annual change: 1.0 pp

- Working capital / revenue, change between three-year averages: 6.8 pp

- Working capital / revenue, final three-year average: 45.2%

Chart: Annual owner cash / profit; fiscal year observations.

- FY2021: 1.00×

- FY2022: 1.00×

- FY2023: 1.43×

- FY2024: 1.44×

- FY2025: -0.27×

### management: fail

- Historical market-dollar context (not the management verdict): 2016 to 2025 (9 years)

- buybacks unrelated to price (informational)

- ROIC first 3 years vs last 3 years: 10.1% vs 6.5%

- Per-share earnings: 114.98 to 96.33 (three-year endpoint medians)

- per-share value declined or ends nonpositive

- Management verdict uses per-share economic progress: Yes

- Ordinary dilution, 10-year annual growth: -1.0%

- Ordinary dilution, 5-year annual growth: -1.6%

- Market cap gain: JPY -115B

- Cumulative retained earnings: JPY 83B

- Diluted shares, 10-year annual growth: -1.0%

- Diluted shares, 5-year annual growth: -1.6%

- $1 test, starting fiscal year: FY2016

- $1 test, ending fiscal year: FY2025

- Per-share value growth: -2.2%

- Per-share value change: JPY -18.65

- Per-share value, starting three-year median: JPY 114.98

- Per-share value, ending three-year median: JPY 96.33

- Buybacks concentrated in cheaper years (correlation): -0.10

- Average buyback yield: 1.4%

- Buyback history: 10 years

- Debt-funded buybacks: No

- Acquisition spending: JPY 78B

- Cumulative net income, 10 years: JPY 302B

- ROIC, first three-year median: 10.1%

- ROIC, last three-year median: 6.5%

Chart: Earnings per share; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: JPY 114.98

- FY2017: JPY 154.85

- FY2018: JPY 96.05

- FY2019: JPY -5.66

- FY2020: JPY 7.48

- FY2021: JPY 108.32

- FY2022: JPY 161.13

- FY2023: JPY 126.80

- FY2024: JPY 96.33

- FY2025: JPY 23.62

### accounting: pass

- Sloan accruals: -7.0%

- Receivables to sales index (DSRI): 1.09×

- Restructuring years, last five: 0

- Stock compensation / operating cash flow: 0.0%

- Earnings backed by cash: Yes

- Operating cash / earnings: 13.20×

- Accounting red flags: 0

- Goodwill and intangibles / equity: 0.15×

Chart: Sloan accruals; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: -7.4%

- FY2017: -3.9%

- FY2018: -4.4%

- FY2019: -9.8%

- FY2020: -7.4%

- FY2021: -3.8%

- FY2022: 0.2%

- FY2023: -6.9%

- FY2024: -8.3%

- FY2025: -7.0%

## Holders

## Price story

Price needs cash profits to shrink 1.8% a year for ten years · sales -2.2%

Story as of 2026-10-16T10:00:14.026Z; price observation 2026-10-15.

Price needs cash profits to shrink 1.8% a year for ten years

### Sales · FY2024–2025

sales -2.2%; source https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf; observed 2026-03-25.

- FY2016: JPY 485B 

- FY2017: JPY 518B 

- FY2018: JPY 603B 

- FY2019: JPY 576B 

- FY2020: JPY 542B 

- FY2021: JPY 629B 

- FY2022: JPY 756B 

- FY2023: JPY 781B 

- FY2024: JPY 827B 

- FY2025: JPY 808B 

### Gross margin · FY2025

gross margin 30.5%; source https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf; observed 2026-03-25.

- FY2016: 34.5% 

- FY2017: 34.7% 

- FY2018: 31.9% 

- FY2019: 31.4% 

- FY2020: 30.5% 

- FY2021: 32.4% 

- FY2022: 32.0% 

- FY2023: 30.7% 

- FY2024: 32.4% 

- FY2025: 30.5% 

## Owner memo

Memo as of 2026-10-16T08:06:05.509Z.

### How it makes money

Annual sales are JPY 808.4 billion.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf (filed 2026-03-25); FY2025: revenue 808447000000; grossProfit 246508000000; margin = grossProfit / revenue.

### Why customers stay

Margins ranged from 30.5% to 32.4% during 2023–25; it earns 6.9% on its capital.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2023: grossProfit / revenue = 30.7%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2024: grossProfit / revenue = 32.4%.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf (filed 2026-03-25); FY2025: grossProfit / revenue = 30.5%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); 10-year return on capital observations [[2016,0.1012827855805895],[2017,0.12348763063939176],[2018,0.07511912886650912],[2019,0.059150168148817586],[2020,0.04829033193094978],[2021,0.0716586211726725],[2022,0.07898951288424676],[2023,0.06460004874022268],[2024,0.06638877951338036],[2025,0.04414396126462063]]; median 0.06902370034302643. ROIC follows the displayed moat series; financial companies use return on tangible equity.

### Can it raise prices

Kept about a 32% gross margin through 2022 cost inflation.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf (filed 2026-03-25); Gross margin observations: [[2021,0.3243497465719688],[2022,0.3195011475773954],[2023,0.3072996832014833]]; range within 2 percentage points.

### Where the cash goes

Paid dividends in 10 of 10 years; bought back JPY 30 billion of shares.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2016: growth capex 0; upkeep 49992000000; owner earnings 31963000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2017: growth capex 12454000000; upkeep 42965000000; owner earnings 54459000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.2286858003268514.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2018: growth capex 9259000000; upkeep 56698000000; owner earnings 33560000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.2758939213349225.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2021: growth capex 9405000000; upkeep 59003000000; owner earnings 37262000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.2524019107938382.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2022: growth capex 6179000000; upkeep 65456000000; owner earnings 54307000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.11377907083801352.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2023: growth capex 0; upkeep 59027000000; owner earnings 60582000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); FY2024: growth capex 0; upkeep 71383000000; owner earnings 45601000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); Dividend observations: [[2016,14753000000],[2017,14420000000],[2018,14691000000],[2019,14595000000],[2020,14784000000],[2021,13414000000],[2022,13908000000],[2023,16066000000],[2024,17292000000],[2025,17367000000]]. Zero only counted when supported by a complete cash-flow statement.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf (filed 2026-03-25); FY2025: cash repurchases 30004000000 JPY.

### What the price says

The price assumes cash profits shrink 1.8% yearly over ten years.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-25); Ten-year compound average after fade. Initial solved rate -0.03853304726986073. Price 1863; FX 1; discount 0.1; same standard ten-year fade to terminal 0.03. FY2015 owner earnings/share 104.69729726705641 → FY2025 -6.347795929298339. Closing-price date 2026-10-15.

## Monthly share-price history (JPY per share)

- 2016-11: JPY 1,618.00 per share

- 2016-12: JPY 1,756.00 per share

- 2017-01: JPY 1,792.00 per share

- 2017-02: JPY 1,705.00 per share

- 2017-03: JPY 1,688.00 per share

- 2017-04: JPY 1,798.00 per share

- 2017-05: JPY 1,991.00 per share

- 2017-06: JPY 2,038.00 per share

- 2017-07: JPY 2,150.00 per share

- 2017-08: JPY 2,088.00 per share

- 2017-09: JPY 2,104.00 per share

- 2017-10: JPY 2,223.00 per share

- 2017-11: JPY 2,161.00 per share

- 2017-12: JPY 2,126.00 per share

- 2018-01: JPY 2,040.00 per share

- 2018-02: JPY 1,874.00 per share

- 2018-03: JPY 1,808.00 per share

- 2018-04: JPY 1,822.00 per share

- 2018-05: JPY 1,668.00 per share

- 2018-06: JPY 1,526.00 per share

- 2018-07: JPY 1,575.00 per share

- 2018-08: JPY 1,612.00 per share

- 2018-09: JPY 1,708.00 per share

- 2018-10: JPY 1,555.00 per share

- 2018-11: JPY 1,764.00 per share

- 2018-12: JPY 1,550.00 per share

- 2019-01: JPY 1,671.00 per share

- 2019-02: JPY 1,494.00 per share

- 2019-03: JPY 1,408.00 per share

- 2019-04: JPY 1,487.00 per share

- 2019-05: JPY 1,246.00 per share

- 2019-06: JPY 1,287.00 per share

- 2019-07: JPY 1,296.00 per share

- 2019-08: JPY 1,212.00 per share

- 2019-09: JPY 1,327.00 per share

- 2019-10: JPY 1,298.00 per share

- 2019-11: JPY 1,323.00 per share

- 2019-12: JPY 1,331.00 per share

- 2020-01: JPY 1,335.00 per share

- 2020-02: JPY 1,124.00 per share

- 2020-03: JPY 1,092.00 per share

- 2020-04: JPY 1,085.00 per share

- 2020-05: JPY 1,132.00 per share

- 2020-06: JPY 1,125.00 per share

- 2020-07: JPY 1,032.00 per share

- 2020-08: JPY 1,085.00 per share

- 2020-09: JPY 1,018.00 per share

- 2020-10: JPY 962.00 per share

- 2020-11: JPY 1,036.00 per share

- 2020-12: JPY 1,097.00 per share

- 2021-01: JPY 1,120.00 per share

- 2021-02: JPY 1,192.00 per share

- 2021-03: JPY 1,263.00 per share

- 2021-04: JPY 1,187.00 per share

- 2021-05: JPY 1,136.00 per share

- 2021-06: JPY 1,067.00 per share

- 2021-07: JPY 1,013.00 per share

- 2021-08: JPY 1,035.00 per share

- 2021-09: JPY 1,078.00 per share

- 2021-10: JPY 1,030.00 per share

- 2021-11: JPY 944.00 per share

- 2021-12: JPY 999.00 per share

- 2022-01: JPY 1,025.00 per share

- 2022-02: JPY 1,078.00 per share

- 2022-03: JPY 1,057.00 per share

- 2022-04: JPY 1,042.00 per share

- 2022-05: JPY 1,075.00 per share

- 2022-06: JPY 1,095.00 per share

- 2022-07: JPY 1,067.00 per share

- 2022-08: JPY 1,061.00 per share

- 2022-09: JPY 1,011.00 per share

- 2022-10: JPY 1,023.00 per share

- 2022-11: JPY 1,096.00 per share

- 2022-12: JPY 1,058.00 per share

- 2023-01: JPY 1,071.00 per share

- 2023-02: JPY 1,221.00 per share

- 2023-03: JPY 1,217.00 per share

- 2023-04: JPY 1,267.00 per share

- 2023-05: JPY 1,318.00 per share

- 2023-06: JPY 1,398.50 per share

- 2023-07: JPY 1,429.50 per share

- 2023-08: JPY 1,655.50 per share

- 2023-09: JPY 1,771.00 per share

- 2023-10: JPY 1,720.00 per share

- 2023-11: JPY 1,504.50 per share

- 2023-12: JPY 1,425.50 per share

- 2024-01: JPY 1,552.00 per share

- 2024-02: JPY 1,513.00 per share

- 2024-03: JPY 1,645.00 per share

- 2024-04: JPY 1,746.00 per share

- 2024-05: JPY 1,910.50 per share

- 2024-06: JPY 1,849.50 per share

- 2024-07: JPY 1,859.00 per share

- 2024-08: JPY 1,910.00 per share

- 2024-09: JPY 2,119.50 per share

- 2024-10: JPY 2,093.50 per share

- 2024-11: JPY 2,032.50 per share

- 2024-12: JPY 2,280.50 per share

- 2025-01: JPY 2,283.00 per share

- 2025-02: JPY 1,876.50 per share

- 2025-03: JPY 1,832.50 per share

- 2025-04: JPY 1,663.50 per share

- 2025-05: JPY 1,835.00 per share

- 2025-06: JPY 1,835.00 per share

- 2025-07: JPY 1,878.50 per share

- 2025-08: JPY 1,775.00 per share

- 2025-09: JPY 1,703.50 per share

- 2025-10: JPY 1,672.50 per share

- 2025-11: JPY 1,536.00 per share

- 2025-12: JPY 1,587.00 per share

- 2026-01: JPY 1,665.50 per share

- 2026-02: JPY 1,845.50 per share

- 2026-03: JPY 1,649.50 per share

- 2026-04: JPY 1,644.00 per share

- 2026-05: JPY 1,640.50 per share

- 2026-06: JPY 1,668.00 per share

- 2026-07: JPY 1,840.00 per share

- 2026-08: JPY 1,848.50 per share

- 2026-09: JPY 1,807.50 per share

- 2026-10: JPY 1,865.50 per share

## Annual estimated value (JPY per share)

- FY2019: low JPY 1,471.28 per share, central JPY 1,636.70 per share, high JPY 1,856.91 per share

- FY2020: low JPY 1,487.26 per share, central JPY 1,619.52 per share, high JPY 1,795.59 per share

- FY2021: low JPY 1,529.28 per share, central JPY 1,682.74 per share, high JPY 1,887.02 per share

- FY2022: low JPY 2,024.99 per share, central JPY 2,734.42 per share, high JPY 3,152.51 per share

- FY2023: low JPY 2,185.19 per share, central JPY 2,900.39 per share, high JPY 3,341.25 per share

- FY2024: low JPY 2,334.73 per share, central JPY 3,190.25 per share, high JPY 3,691.30 per share

- FY2025: low JPY 1,946.14 per share, central JPY 2,174.29 per share, high JPY 2,478.00 per share

Historical values use today's bond yield for every fiscal year

Historical values use today's FX rate into trading currency for every fiscal year

Historical values use current restated fundamentals and current commodity classification; they are not point-in-time estimates

## Sources

[Original EDINET filing](https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSSZ.pdf); period 2025-12-31, filed 2026-03-25.

Estimates depend on assumptions and are not guarantees or investment advice. Underlying data remains subject to its source licenses; public reading does not grant bulk redistribution rights.
← Companies

Kuraray

3405 · JP

Nikkei 225

Not a wonderful business

3 quality tests fail. A lower price would not fix the business.

Share price
JPY 1,863.00
Buy up to
JPY 2,244.70
Expected / yr
11.8% at today's price (10.0% at central value)

The business

How it makes money
Why customers stay
Can it raise prices
Where the cash goes
What the price says

1. Is this a good business?

Evidence only; not required for Buy

Margins varied 20.6% around their average (limit 35%), and 1 loss years were recorded (limit 2).

10y median
10.6%
Worst year
7.3%
Latest · 2025
7.3%

Capital return excluding acquisitions: median 6.9% (minimum 15%), and the second-worst year 4.8% (minimum 10%).

10y median
6.9%
Worst year
4.4%
Latest · 2025
4.4%

New investment earned -1.6% (minimum 12%).

Five-year totals
1.13×
Annual median
1.00×
Latest · 2025
-0.27×

Per-share value fell from 114.98 to 96.33, comparing three-year medians at each end (must rise and stay positive).

10y median
JPY 102.32
Worst year
JPY -5.66
Latest · 2025
JPY 23.62

Profits were backed by cash: accruals were -7% of assets (limit 10%).

10y median
-7.0%
Worst year
0.2%
Latest · 2025
-7.0%

Profit record · pass 1 loss year in 10 (at most 2), mean operating margin 10.7%, three-year average owner earnings per share 104.37 JPY.

2. Is the price low enough?

Price & return math
Value rangeJPY 2,007.78 – JPY 2,560.08
Buy at or belowCentral value JPY 2,244.70
Discount to value1 − 1863.00 / 2244.70 = 17.0%
Return / yearAbout 11.8% a year at today's price (required return 10.0%)
Cash-flow inputsOwner cash JPY 157.21/share; 0.0% growth for 5 years, then fades to 3.0%; excess cash JPY 289.48/share today.
Required return10.0% / year, earned by construction at the central value
RevenueJPY 808B
827B020162025
FY2016 · Revenue: JPY 485B; FY2017 · Revenue: JPY 518B; FY2018 · Revenue: JPY 603B; FY2019 · Revenue: JPY 576B; FY2020 · Revenue: JPY 542B; FY2021 · Revenue: JPY 629B; FY2022 · Revenue: JPY 756B; FY2023 · Revenue: JPY 781B; FY2024 · Revenue: JPY 827B; FY2025 · Revenue: JPY 808B
Revenue
Owner earningsJPY -2.0B
61B-31B20162025
FY2016 · Owner earnings: JPY 32B; FY2017 · Owner earnings: JPY 54B; FY2018 · Owner earnings: JPY 34B; FY2019 · Owner earnings: JPY -31B; FY2020 · Owner earnings: JPY -18B; FY2021 · Owner earnings: JPY 37B; FY2022 · Owner earnings: JPY 54B; FY2023 · Owner earnings: JPY 61B; FY2024 · Owner earnings: JPY 46B; FY2025 · Owner earnings: JPY -2.0B
Owner earnings
Operating margin7.3%
14.7%0.0%20162025
FY2016 · Operating margin: 14.0%; FY2017 · Operating margin: 14.7%; FY2018 · Operating margin: 10.9%; FY2019 · Operating margin: 9.4%; FY2020 · Operating margin: 8.2%; FY2021 · Operating margin: 11.5%; FY2022 · Operating margin: 11.5%; FY2023 · Operating margin: 9.7%; FY2024 · Operating margin: 10.3%; FY2025 · Operating margin: 7.3%
Operating margin
Net cash / debtJPY -172B
63B-192B20162025
FY2016 · Net cash / debt: JPY 63B; FY2017 · Net cash / debt: JPY 49B; FY2018 · Net cash / debt: JPY -112B; FY2019 · Net cash / debt: JPY -128B; FY2020 · Net cash / debt: JPY -151B; FY2021 · Net cash / debt: JPY -152B; FY2022 · Net cash / debt: JPY -192B; FY2023 · Net cash / debt: JPY -145B; FY2024 · Net cash / debt: JPY -119B; FY2025 · Net cash / debt: JPY -172B
Net cash / debt
Diluted shares316M
352M020162025
FY2016 · Diluted shares: 351M; FY2017 · Diluted shares: 352M; FY2018 · Diluted shares: 349M; FY2019 · Diluted shares: 346M; FY2020 · Diluted shares: 344M; FY2021 · Diluted shares: 344M; FY2022 · Diluted shares: 337M; FY2023 · Diluted shares: 335M; FY2024 · Diluted shares: 329M; FY2025 · Diluted shares: 316M
Diluted shares
Prices 15 Oct 2026 · FY2025Original filing ↗ ·