# Nexon (3659.JP)

Canonical: https://gigainvestors.com/s/3659.JP

Analysis as of: 2026-10-15T07:09:57.317Z. Financial observations: FY2012–FY2025.

Listing currency: JPY. Reporting currency: JPY.

## Verdict

A wonderful business at a fair price

Quality tests for Buy: pass (profit record: pass; earnings resilience is evidence only). Published buy qualification: yes.

Share price: JPY 2,746.50 per share; close as of 2026-10-15.

Estimated value: low JPY 3,125.38 per share, central JPY 4,195.88 per share, high JPY 4,819.24 per share. Buy at or below the central value JPY 4,195.88 per share. Valuation as of 2026-10-15T07:09:57.317Z; scenarios are not confidence intervals.

Expected annual return: 14.5% at the stated quote. About 14.5% 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

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

- Financial history: 10 years

- Years with declining revenue: 3

- Years with a net loss: 0

- Operating margin variation: 0.14×

Chart: Operating margin; fiscal year observations.

- FY2018: 0.39×

- FY2019: 0.38×

- FY2020: 0.38×

- FY2021: 0.33×

- FY2022: 0.29×

- FY2023: 0.32×

- FY2024: 0.28×

- FY2025: 0.26×

### moat: pass

- ROIC, median of available years: 17.4%

- ROIC, second-lowest year: 14.4%

- Years with nonpositive capital: 0

- Capital spending / revenue: 1.5%

- ROIC including acquisitions, ten-year median: 19.8%

- Typical minus recent gross margin: 8.8 pp

Chart: ROIC excluding acquisitions; fiscal year observations.

- FY2018: 26.3%

- FY2019: 26.9%

- FY2020: 17.2%

- FY2021: 17.7%

- FY2022: 18.1%

- FY2023: 15.3%

- FY2024: 12.6%

- FY2025: 14.4%

### economics: pass

- Owner earnings / net income, 5-yr: 0.97×

- Cash conversion uses consolidated totals: No

- Owner earnings, five-year total: JPY 497B

- Net income, five-year total: JPY 513B

- Working capital / revenue, annual change: -7.8 pp

- Working capital / revenue, final three-year average: 67.4%

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

- FY2021: 0.93×

- FY2022: 0.98×

- FY2023: 0.99×

- FY2024: 0.99×

- FY2025: 0.96×

### management: pass

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

- buybacks unrelated to price (informational)

- Per-share earnings: 63.93 to 114.48 (three-year endpoint medians)

- Management verdict uses per-share economic progress: Yes

- Ordinary dilution, 10-year annual growth: -0.7%

- Ordinary dilution, 5-year annual growth: -1.9%

- Market cap gain: JPY 2.34T

- Diluted shares, 10-year annual growth: -0.7%

- Diluted shares, 5-year annual growth: -1.9%

- $1 test, starting fiscal year: FY2016

- $1 test, ending fiscal year: FY2025

- Per-share value growth: 7.6%

- Per-share value change: JPY 50.55

- Per-share value, starting three-year median: JPY 63.93

- Per-share value, ending three-year median: JPY 114.48

- Buyback history: 0 years

- Debt-funded buybacks: No

- Cumulative net income, 10 years: JPY 869B

- ROIC, last three-year median: 14.4%

Chart: Earnings per share; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: JPY 23.13

- FY2017: JPY 64.67

- FY2018: JPY 121.03

- FY2019: JPY 129.34

- FY2020: JPY 63.57

- FY2021: JPY 128.91

- FY2022: JPY 114.74

- FY2023: JPY 82.89

- FY2024: JPY 161.79

- FY2025: JPY 114.48

### accounting: pass

- Sloan accruals: -5.7%

- Receivables to sales index (DSRI): 0.91×

- Restructuring years, last five: 0

- Stock compensation / operating cash flow: 3.4%

- Earnings backed by cash: Yes

- Operating cash / earnings: 1.87×

- Accounting red flags: 0

- Goodwill and intangibles / equity: 0.08×

Chart: Sloan accruals; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: -12.0%

- FY2017: -4.4%

- FY2018: -1.6%

- FY2019: 1.5%

- FY2020: -9.4%

- FY2021: 0.9%

- FY2022: -2.9%

- FY2023: -5.3%

- FY2024: 2.7%

- FY2025: -5.7%

## Holders

## Price story

Down 28% since Dec 2025 · sales +6.5%

Story as of 2026-10-16T10:00:14.050Z; price observation 2026-10-15.

Price needs cash profits to shrink 0.1% a year for ten years

### Sales · FY2024–2025

sales +6.5%; source https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf; observed 2026-03-24.

- FY2016: JPY 183B 

- FY2017: JPY 235B 

- FY2018: JPY 254B 

- FY2019: JPY 249B 

- FY2020: JPY 293B 

- FY2021: JPY 274B 

- FY2022: JPY 354B 

- FY2023: JPY 423B 

- FY2024: JPY 446B 

- FY2025: JPY 475B 

### Gross margin · FY2025

gross margin 59.4%; source https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf; observed 2026-03-24.

- FY2018: 77.3% 

- FY2019: 76.0% 

- FY2020: 76.4% 

- FY2021: 73.7% 

- FY2022: 70.1% 

- FY2023: 67.4% 

- FY2024: 63.1% 

- FY2025: 59.4% 

## Owner memo

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

### How it makes money

Annual sales are JPY 475.1 billion.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf (filed 2026-03-24); FY2025: revenue 475102000000; grossProfit 282014000000; margin = grossProfit / revenue.

### Why customers stay

Margins ranged from 59.4% to 67.4% during 2023–25; it earns 17.4% on its capital.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2023: grossProfit / revenue = 67.4%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2024: grossProfit / revenue = 63.1%.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf (filed 2026-03-24); FY2025: grossProfit / revenue = 59.4%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); 10-year return on capital observations [[2018,0.2631221414695839],[2019,0.26911949486190945],[2020,0.17208021264617643],[2021,0.17665301892624988],[2022,0.18053941456323622],[2023,0.15316537490294285],[2024,0.12645255129349733],[2025,0.14371768447927885]]; median 0.17436661578621315. ROIC follows the displayed moat series; financial companies use return on tangible equity.

### Where the cash goes

Paid dividends in 6 of 8 years.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2018: growth capex 0; upkeep 2546000000; owner earnings 111546000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2019: growth capex 0; upkeep 2115000000; owner earnings 119453000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2020: growth capex 0; upkeep 3232000000; owner earnings 59223000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2021: growth capex 0; upkeep 14126000000; owner earnings 106645000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2022: growth capex 0; upkeep 5902000000; owner earnings 98179000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2023: growth capex 0; upkeep 5713000000; owner earnings 70049000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); FY2024: growth capex 0; upkeep 7686000000; owner earnings 132904000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf (filed 2026-03-24); FY2025: growth capex 0; upkeep 9494000000; owner earnings 88830000000. Growth capex / owner earnings = 0.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); Dividend observations: [[2018,0],[2019,0],[2020,4417000000],[2021,4441000000],[2022,8785000000],[2023,8579000000],[2024,10295000000],[2025,24396000000]]. Zero only counted when supported by a complete cash-flow statement.

### What the price says

The price assumes cash profits shrink 0.1% yearly over ten years.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-03-24); Ten-year compound average after fade. Initial solved rate -0.013414124265260952. Price 2746.5; FX 1; discount 0.1; same standard ten-year fade to terminal 0.03.  Closing-price date 2026-10-15.

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

- 2016-11: JPY 799.50 per share

- 2016-12: JPY 847.00 per share

- 2017-01: JPY 861.00 per share

- 2017-02: JPY 934.00 per share

- 2017-03: JPY 884.50 per share

- 2017-04: JPY 947.50 per share

- 2017-05: JPY 1,045.50 per share

- 2017-06: JPY 1,110.00 per share

- 2017-07: JPY 1,147.50 per share

- 2017-08: JPY 1,371.50 per share

- 2017-09: JPY 1,468.00 per share

- 2017-10: JPY 1,520.00 per share

- 2017-11: JPY 1,610.00 per share

- 2017-12: JPY 1,640.00 per share

- 2018-01: JPY 1,812.50 per share

- 2018-02: JPY 1,940.00 per share

- 2018-03: JPY 1,760.00 per share

- 2018-04: JPY 1,593.00 per share

- 2018-05: JPY 1,801.00 per share

- 2018-06: JPY 1,609.00 per share

- 2018-07: JPY 1,605.00 per share

- 2018-08: JPY 1,394.00 per share

- 2018-09: JPY 1,485.00 per share

- 2018-10: JPY 1,286.00 per share

- 2018-11: JPY 1,342.00 per share

- 2018-12: JPY 1,413.00 per share

- 2019-01: JPY 1,662.00 per share

- 2019-02: JPY 1,767.00 per share

- 2019-03: JPY 1,734.00 per share

- 2019-04: JPY 1,596.00 per share

- 2019-05: JPY 1,617.00 per share

- 2019-06: JPY 1,562.00 per share

- 2019-07: JPY 1,732.00 per share

- 2019-08: JPY 1,429.00 per share

- 2019-09: JPY 1,311.00 per share

- 2019-10: JPY 1,255.00 per share

- 2019-11: JPY 1,493.00 per share

- 2019-12: JPY 1,450.00 per share

- 2020-01: JPY 1,485.00 per share

- 2020-02: JPY 1,717.00 per share

- 2020-03: JPY 1,765.00 per share

- 2020-04: JPY 1,744.00 per share

- 2020-05: JPY 2,246.00 per share

- 2020-06: JPY 2,437.00 per share

- 2020-07: JPY 2,730.00 per share

- 2020-08: JPY 2,483.00 per share

- 2020-09: JPY 2,622.00 per share

- 2020-10: JPY 2,919.00 per share

- 2020-11: JPY 3,155.00 per share

- 2020-12: JPY 3,180.00 per share

- 2021-01: JPY 3,185.00 per share

- 2021-02: JPY 3,360.00 per share

- 2021-03: JPY 3,590.00 per share

- 2021-04: JPY 3,625.00 per share

- 2021-05: JPY 2,584.00 per share

- 2021-06: JPY 2,476.00 per share

- 2021-07: JPY 2,248.00 per share

- 2021-08: JPY 2,010.00 per share

- 2021-09: JPY 1,807.00 per share

- 2021-10: JPY 1,931.00 per share

- 2021-11: JPY 2,254.00 per share

- 2021-12: JPY 2,224.00 per share

- 2022-01: JPY 2,152.00 per share

- 2022-02: JPY 2,488.00 per share

- 2022-03: JPY 2,932.00 per share

- 2022-04: JPY 2,972.00 per share

- 2022-05: JPY 3,200.00 per share

- 2022-06: JPY 2,778.00 per share

- 2022-07: JPY 3,015.00 per share

- 2022-08: JPY 2,789.00 per share

- 2022-09: JPY 2,552.00 per share

- 2022-10: JPY 2,497.00 per share

- 2022-11: JPY 2,894.00 per share

- 2022-12: JPY 2,962.00 per share

- 2023-01: JPY 3,125.00 per share

- 2023-02: JPY 2,952.00 per share

- 2023-03: JPY 3,155.00 per share

- 2023-04: JPY 3,070.00 per share

- 2023-05: JPY 2,846.00 per share

- 2023-06: JPY 2,747.00 per share

- 2023-07: JPY 2,710.50 per share

- 2023-08: JPY 2,957.00 per share

- 2023-09: JPY 2,673.50 per share

- 2023-10: JPY 2,745.50 per share

- 2023-11: JPY 3,198.00 per share

- 2023-12: JPY 2,569.50 per share

- 2024-01: JPY 2,365.00 per share

- 2024-02: JPY 2,426.00 per share

- 2024-03: JPY 2,514.50 per share

- 2024-04: JPY 2,471.50 per share

- 2024-05: JPY 2,691.50 per share

- 2024-06: JPY 2,975.00 per share

- 2024-07: JPY 3,275.00 per share

- 2024-08: JPY 2,860.00 per share

- 2024-09: JPY 2,829.50 per share

- 2024-10: JPY 2,679.50 per share

- 2024-11: JPY 2,058.50 per share

- 2024-12: JPY 2,376.50 per share

- 2025-01: JPY 2,027.00 per share

- 2025-02: JPY 2,023.50 per share

- 2025-03: JPY 2,040.00 per share

- 2025-04: JPY 2,245.00 per share

- 2025-05: JPY 2,612.00 per share

- 2025-06: JPY 2,910.00 per share

- 2025-07: JPY 2,774.00 per share

- 2025-08: JPY 3,355.00 per share

- 2025-09: JPY 3,247.00 per share

- 2025-10: JPY 3,150.00 per share

- 2025-11: JPY 3,799.00 per share

- 2025-12: JPY 3,827.00 per share

- 2026-01: JPY 3,683.00 per share

- 2026-02: JPY 3,321.00 per share

- 2026-03: JPY 2,929.00 per share

- 2026-04: JPY 2,642.50 per share

- 2026-05: JPY 2,240.00 per share

- 2026-06: JPY 2,145.50 per share

- 2026-07: JPY 2,501.00 per share

- 2026-08: JPY 3,170.00 per share

- 2026-09: JPY 2,633.00 per share

- 2026-10: JPY 2,706.00 per share

## Annual estimated value (JPY per share)

- FY2022: low JPY 2,424.16 per share, central JPY 3,031.92 per share, high JPY 3,468.77 per share

- FY2023: low JPY 1,975.12 per share, central JPY 2,398.09 per share, high JPY 2,746.05 per share

- FY2024: low JPY 2,407.74 per share, central JPY 3,273.44 per share, high JPY 3,777.54 per share

- FY2025: low JPY 2,838.21 per share, central JPY 3,793.65 per share, high JPY 4,350.01 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

Prior published observations retained from 2026-10-15T07:09:57.317Z where newer inputs omit a numeric field or fiscal period.

## Sources

[Original EDINET filing](https://disclosure2dl.edinet-fsa.go.jp/searchdocument/pdf/S100XSM4.pdf); period 2025-12-31, filed 2026-03-24.

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

Nexon

3659 · JP

Nikkei 225

A wonderful business at a fair price

Passes the quality tests.

Share price
JPY 2,746.50
Buy up to
JPY 4,195.88
Expected / yr
14.5% at today's price (10.0% at central value)

The business

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

1. Is this a good business?

Evidence only; not required for Buy

Margins varied 14.1% around their average (limit 35%), and no loss years were recorded (limit 2).

8y median
32.6%
Worst year
26.1%
Latest · 2025
26.1%

Capital return excluding acquisitions: median 17.4% (minimum 15%), and the second-worst year 14.4% (minimum 10%).

8y median
17.4%
Worst year
12.6%
Latest · 2025
14.4%

Each $1 of profit left $0.97 for owners over five years (minimum $0.80).

Five-year totals
0.97×
Annual median
0.98×
Latest · 2025
0.96×

Per-share value rose from 63.93 to 114.48, comparing three-year medians at each end (must rise and stay positive).

10y median
JPY 114.61
Worst year
JPY 23.13
Latest · 2025
JPY 114.48

Profits were backed by cash: accruals were -5.7% of assets (limit 10%).

10y median
-3.6%
Worst year
2.7%
Latest · 2025
-5.7%

Profit record · pass 0 loss years in 10 (at most 2), mean operating margin 32.9%, three-year average owner earnings per share 117.39 JPY.

2. Is the price low enough?

Price & return math
Value rangeJPY 3,125.38 – JPY 4,819.24
Buy at or belowCentral value JPY 4,195.88
Discount to value1 − 2746.50 / 4195.88 = 34.5%
Return / yearAbout 14.5% a year at today's price (required return 10.0%)
Cash-flow inputsOwner cash JPY 183.75/share; 8.0% growth for 5 years, then fades to 3.0%; excess cash JPY 627.26/share today.
Required return10.0% / year, earned by construction at the central value
RevenueJPY 475B
475B020162025
FY2016 · Revenue: JPY 183B; FY2017 · Revenue: JPY 235B; FY2018 · Revenue: JPY 254B; FY2019 · Revenue: JPY 249B; FY2020 · Revenue: JPY 293B; FY2021 · Revenue: JPY 274B; FY2022 · Revenue: JPY 354B; FY2023 · Revenue: JPY 423B; FY2024 · Revenue: JPY 446B; FY2025 · Revenue: JPY 475B
Revenue
Owner earningsJPY 89B
133B020162025
FY2018 · Owner earnings: JPY 112B; FY2019 · Owner earnings: JPY 119B; FY2020 · Owner earnings: JPY 59B; FY2021 · Owner earnings: JPY 107B; FY2022 · Owner earnings: JPY 98B; FY2023 · Owner earnings: JPY 70B; FY2024 · Owner earnings: JPY 133B; FY2025 · Owner earnings: JPY 89B
Owner earnings
Operating margin26.1%
38.8%0.0%20162025
FY2018 · Operating margin: 38.8%; FY2019 · Operating margin: 38.0%; FY2020 · Operating margin: 38.0%; FY2021 · Operating margin: 33.4%; FY2022 · Operating margin: 29.3%; FY2023 · Operating margin: 31.8%; FY2024 · Operating margin: 27.8%; FY2025 · Operating margin: 26.1%
Operating margin
Net cash / debtJPY 499B
499B020162025
FY2018 · Net cash / debt: JPY 201B; FY2019 · Net cash / debt: JPY 251B; FY2020 · Net cash / debt: JPY 250B; FY2021 · Net cash / debt: JPY 365B; FY2022 · Net cash / debt: JPY 409B; FY2023 · Net cash / debt: JPY 281B; FY2024 · Net cash / debt: JPY 332B; FY2025 · Net cash / debt: JPY 499B
Net cash / debt
Diluted shares804M
894M020162025
FY2016 · Diluted shares: 870M; FY2017 · Diluted shares: 878M; FY2018 · Diluted shares: 890M; FY2019 · Diluted shares: 894M; FY2020 · Diluted shares: 884M; FY2021 · Diluted shares: 891M; FY2022 · Diluted shares: 874M; FY2023 · Diluted shares: 852M; FY2024 · Diluted shares: 833M; FY2025 · Diluted shares: 804M
Diluted shares
Prices 15 Oct 2026 · FY2025Original filing ↗ ·