It was a maneuver carried out in small and slow steps, which started last August and emerged only today when the 5% threshold was exceeded: it is the roundup of Nikon stocks by Essilor Luxottica on the Tokyo square. The Italian-French group led by Francesco Milleri, according to what emerges from communications to the Japanese authorities, has today exceeded the 5% threshold in the shareholders' book of the Japanese company Nikon Corporation making communication mandatory. In this way Essilix becomes the fourth largest shareholder of the Japanese giant of cameras and precision optics.
For Essilux, 32,5% controlled by Dolphin, the holding company of Del Vecchio family, so far it is a investment of approximately 170 million of euros and is configured, as reported in sources close to the group, within a financial participation of long period. The rest Nikon and Essilux they already had a historic strategic alliance in the lens sector: a joint venture signed in 2000 specializing in the field of high-precision optics and light control. Thanks to it, Milleri's group introduced a series of Nikon-branded lenses including the first ultra-thin lenses, blue light filters or brightening coatings.
Il Nikon title on the Tokyo Stock Exchange has gained more than 13% in the last 5 days. Essilorluxottica earns 0,38% today.
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Nikon is strategic for Essilux both because the Japanese group also produces optical components for the 'industrial automation, but also because in the Ray-Ban Meta camera lenses are mounted that allow you to take pictures and record videos. And at Essilux they are studying the smart-glasses version of many of the 150 eyewear brands in their portfolio. Recently the number one of the US giant Mark Zuckerberg he confirmed, in an interview with the site The Verge, who would be thinking about theMeta entrance in the capital of Essilux with a “symbolic” investment, after rumors that have been circulating this summer that it would enter with a share of between 3 and 5%. In recent days, Essilux and Meta have extended their production collaboration by another 10 years. “I thought it would be a nice gesture,” Zuckerberg said, referring to Meta’s imminent investment and repeatedly asserting that he believes Essilux will “go from being the world’s leading eyewear company to one of the world’s leading technology companies.” Thanks to smart glasses, Zuckerberg believes the'Italy and Europe they could even become an international hub for computing platforms.
Essilux is now among the top 5 shareholders of the giant Nikon
In recent months, the management of the Japanese corporation had also ended up in the crosshairs of the London-based activist fund Silchester, the first shareholder with 7,1%. The operation by Essilux (which will not ask to join the board of directors) therefore also serves to give stability to the top. Another British fund, M&G Investment, is the second shareholder with 5,3%, followed by Nomura at 5,2%. The fourth shareholder is the Milleri group, which will now have to notify any further purchase of 1%.
Essilux is at home in Japan, after the two still separate companies opened their first stores there in the 80s, while in recent months Essilix acquired the retailer Washin in Tokyo and in 2018 it bought Fukui Megane, which produces glasses. Essilux's strategy of collecting minority stakes with the aim of supporting a partner in the long term can be found in other recent operations: the stakes in the German Mister Spex (12%), the Japanese Paris Miki (14%) and Synsam Group (7%).
