GS Yuasa Corporation
6674.TMEDIUMBattery — Motorcycle Li-ion / EV R&D · Weight: 5%· Data as of 2026-05-06
Investment Thesis
World's #1 motorcycle battery maker (Yuasa brand is OEM standard across Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki globally) pivoting to Li-ion as e-motorcycles displace ICE. Honda-GS Yuasa EV Battery R&D JV (est. Aug 2023) positions GS Yuasa as Honda's Li-ion battery partner. Upcoming FY2025 results (May 13, 2026) with dividend raised ¥80→¥90 signals strong earnings. Reasonable PE 11x, ROE 9.59% (above TSE 8% reform target), PB 1.54x.
Risk
Majority of revenue still lead-acid automotive batteries (structurally declining as EVs grow). Honda JV focused on 4-wheel EV batteries (not 2-wheeler specific). Chinese Li-ion motorcycle battery makers (CATL supply chain) gaining share. FY2025 earnings on May 13 — guide down risk if auto battery weakness.
Monitoring Trigger
May 13 FY2025 results: If motorcycle Li-ion segment disclosed with double-digit growth, upgrade conviction. If lead-acid revenue decline accelerates >10% YoY, reduce. Watch for Honda JV prototype announcements.
Key Dates
Update History
New addition: Honda e-motorcycle cycle rotation signal. World #1 motorcycle battery maker with Honda JV for EV battery R&D. PE 11x, ROE 9.59%, PB 1.54x, dividend raised ¥80→¥90.
Key Metrics
Business Segments
| Segment | Revenue | Share | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Batteries (Japan) | est. ~¥200B | ~35% | Lead-acid batteries for cars and motorcycles (Japan domestic). OEM supplier to Honda, Toyota, Yamaha. |
| Automotive Batteries (Overseas) | est. ~¥230B | ~40% | Lead-acid batteries for cars and motorcycles (Asia, US, Europe). Dominant Yuasa brand. |
| Industrial Batteries | est. ~¥100B | ~17% | UPS, telecom, renewable energy storage. Growth segment. |
| Automotive Lithium-ion | est. ~¥60B | ~10% | Li-ion for HEV/PHEV (Honda JV). R&D stage for high-capacity EV cells. |
Supply Chain Evidence
| Evidence | Customer | Product | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| confirmed | Honda Motor | OEM motorcycle lead-acid and Li-ion batteries (Yuasa brand) | GS Yuasa is the OEM motorcycle battery supplier for Honda globally. Yuasa brand appears on Honda motorcycle batteries worldwide. Honda-GS Yuasa EV Battery R&D JV established Aug 2023 for high-capacity Li-ion.[source](2023-08) |
| confirmed | Honda Motor | Li-ion battery storage systems for Honda factories | GS Yuasa delivered large-scale Li-ion storage battery to Honda Kumamoto Manufacturing plant and Honda Hosoe Outboard Engine Plant.[source](2025) |
| probable | Yamaha Motor / Kawasaki | OEM motorcycle lead-acid starter batteries | Yuasa brand is the de facto OEM motorcycle battery across all major Japanese OEMs. World #1 powersports battery.[source](2026-05) |
Primary IR Documentation
Values and insights cited from official company IR releases (earnings, 決算短信, MoUs, presentations).
Cites: Primary IR portal
https://ir.gs-yuasa.com/en/ir.html
Cites: Full-year earnings PDF released May 13, 2026
https://data.swcms.net/file/gs-yuasa-ir/dam/jcr:ae93741b-55b9-4432-82a0-4a3d84b6dce3/140120260513529579.pdf
Cites: Honda LIB JV agreement (May 11, 2023) — backbone of e-motorcycle / EV battery thesis
https://newsroom.gs-yuasa.com/en/news-release/110
Sources & References
Peer Comparison
| Company | PE | Fwd PE | ROE | Op Margin | FCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murata Manufacturing | ~49.7x TTM (impairment-distorted; fwd PE ~37x on FY2026 guidance) | ~37x (on FY2026 OP +34.8% guidance) | 7.25% | 15.4% | +¥239B |
| TDK Corp | 26.51 | 23.71 | 11.4% | 12.4% | +¥169B |
| Fuji Electric | 20.59 | 17.97 | 8.2% | 8.7% | +¥51B |
| Sumitomo Metal Mining | 28.63 | 19.76 | 5.0% | 5.0% | +¥87B |
| AGC Inc | 17.89 | 14.7 | 4.7% | 6.2% | +¥65B |
| Kureha Corp | N/A | 19 | -6.7% | -11.1% | ~est. negative (capex ongoing) |
| Asahi Kasei | 13.4 | 12.9 | 7.7% | 7.5% | +¥134B |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 32.85 | 30.6 | 10.1% | 9.1% | +¥317B |
| Nidec Corp | 6.3% | 5.0% | +¥174B | ||
| Hirose Electric | 23.3 | 23.5 | 9.0% | 20.3% | ~+¥36B |
| Sumitomo Electric | 25.5 | 29.7 | 10.2% | 8.2% | +¥102B (est.) |
| Resonac Holdings | 83.53 | ~31.6x | 5.72% | 4.3% | +¥24B |
| Rohm Co. | Loss (NI -¥158.4B SiC impairment) | ~125x (near-breakeven NI; FY2028 target >20% OP margin) | Loss | +1.6% Q3 FY2026 (recovering from -9.0% year ago) | -¥44B |
| Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | 30.8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| GS Yuasa Corporation | 11.04 | N/A | 9.59% | N/A | N/A |
| Mitsuba Corporation | 5.5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Daido Steel Co., Ltd. | ~11x | N/A | N/A | N/A | +est. |
| Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd. | 12.45 | 12.05 | N/A | N/A | +confirmed |
| Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd. | 31.6 | N/A | N/A | 11.1% | N/A |
| Stanley Electric Co., Ltd. | 13.8 | 4.5% | 6.3% | N/A | |
| Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | 7.77 | 5.82% | 7.0% | N/A | |
| Mitsui High-tec, Inc. | 15.3 | 13 | 11.8% | 5.8% | -¥12B |
| MinebeaMitsumi Inc. | 18.7 | 13.75 | 9.1% | 6.2% | -¥21B |
| Ryobi Limited | ~8x | N/A | 4.4% | 3.2% | N/A |
| Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. | ~8x | N/A | 10.9% | 5.9% | +est. ¥15-20B |
| Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation | 91 | 7 | 3.1% | 2.9% | ~0 (thin; ¥20B capex planned) |
| Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd. | 13.7 | 5.1% | 7.1% | thin (¥63B capex over 3yr) | |
| ARCHION Corporation | 11 | 11 | ~6% | ~2.0% | Negative on integration capex through FY2027 |
| Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. | 18.3 | N/A | N/A | 2.4% | N/A |
| Nichicon Corporation | 16.74 | N/A | N/A | 3.8% | N/A |
| Mikuni Corporation | 4.2 | N/A | N/A — confirm vs J-Quants | N/A — thin, est. 1-3% | N/A |
| T.RAD Co., Ltd. | N/A — confirm vs StockAnalysis | N/A | N/A — confirm vs J-Quants | N/A | N/A |
| Renesas Electronics Corporation | N/A (EPS negative — IDT amortization ¥370B/yr; operating profit positive) | N/A | ~10.5% (pre-impairment FY2025; currently impaired by amortization) | N/A — confirm vs J-Quants | N/A |
| Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. | 24.79x TTM | 22.32x (pre-PVC recovery) | ~10.5-11.5% | ~24.7% (FY2026; compressed -14.4% from PVC weakness) | +¥739.4B (FY2025 — outstanding) |
| Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. | ~17.2x TTM | ~12.0x (FY2025 guidance ¥25.5B NI) | 6.54% | 10.3% (FY2025 guidance) | +¥46B est (EV/FCF 8.73x, EV ~¥400B) |
| NSK Ltd | 32.12 | 22.70 | 1.8% | 2.96% | +¥44B (est.) |
| Toray Industries Inc | 25.97 | 16.62 | 3.19% | 5.0% | N/A |
| SMC Corporation | 29.0 | 27.24 | 7.9% | N/A | +¥200B (est., high net income + minimal capex) |
| Mitsui Kinzoku Company, Limited | ~29.7x TTM / ~22.3x forward (StockAnalysis/Simply Wall St, May 2026) | ~22.3x | ~18.4% | ~15.6% (implied: OP ¥117B / revenue ¥750B FY2025E) | N/A (verify J-Quants; positive expected given OP margins) |
| UBE Corporation | ~8.4x TTM (cheaply valued) | N/A | ~5.1% (WARNING: below TSE 8% target — ROE guardrail triggered. Override: capex-heavy transition period; electrolyte growth pipeline.) | ~4.7% (thin — monitor for recovery to 7%+) | N/A (capex-heavy with Louisiana plant — verify against J-Quants when available) |
| Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. | 20.79x TTM (StockAnalysis, May 2026) | 27.52x (FY2026 guidance: +8% revenue, +50% OP income) | 3.92% | ~3.3% TTM (trough); guided to ~4.8–5% FY2026 on +50% OP recovery | N/A |
| F.C.C. Co., Ltd. | 9.5x | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nittoku Co., Ltd. | 14.12x | 15.45x | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| NOK Corporation | 15.5x | N/A | ~3-5% | 4.9% | N/A |
| Yokowo Co., Ltd. | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5.1% | N/A |
| Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. | 7.5 | N/A | 1.4% | 5.0% | +¥52.5B |
| Hioki E.E. Corporation | 27.8x | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Tsubakimoto Chain Co. | ~11.2x | N/A | 8.75% | ~8.1% | est. +¥20-25B |
| Central Glass Co., Ltd. | 17.7x | ~14x (26% EPS growth forecast; analyst consensus) | ~8.2% (est: NI ¥8.36B / book value ¥101B) | ~3.2% (compressed; was ~6-9% pre-Chinese LiPF6 price war) | N/A (J-Quants not available; cross-validate before entry) |
| CKD Corporation | ~36x | ~20x (analyst forecast; likely conservative given 35.7% recent earnings growth) | 9.19% | 12.4% | N/A |
| Panasonic Holdings Corporation | 32.4x | ~15x (FY2027 NI expected +2.2x from ¥75B base) | 4.77% (FY2026 trough; guided higher FY2027) | ~2.9% (FY2026: OP ¥236.4B / Revenue ¥8,049B; compressed by restructuring charges) | N/A (Panasonic Energy capex-heavy; cross-validate before entry) |
| UACJ Corporation | 15.46x | ~22x (FY2027 NI guided ¥28B from ¥38.8B; NI decline; caution) | 11.21% | ~5.4% (Q3 FY2026 9M operating profit margin improving from prior year) | N/A (capital-intensive aluminum rolling; verify before entry) |
| Kanto Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd. | N/A (loss year FY2026 due to fire). Forward PE ~32x on FY2027 guided EPS ¥118.3 | ~32x (FY2027 guided NI ¥6.8B / shares 57.46M = ¥118.3 EPS; price ¥3,775) | -4.74% (FY2026 fire loss). FY2027 guided ROE ~10% (¥6.8B NI / ¥68B book) | ~8.7% guided FY2027 (¥10B OP / ¥95B revenue). Depressed in FY2026 (fire losses) | Negative FY2026 (fire year). Recovery expected FY2027. |