Rumor: Nikon faces takeover by French optics giant

Nikon has been gradually acquired by EssilorLuxottica over the years. While the French optical giant owned only 5.1 percent of Nikon’s shares in October 2024, by April 2026, 19.61 percent of Nikon’s securities were already in the hands of EssilorLuxottica. Yahoo Japan now reports that these rapid stock purchases could be a sign of an impending takeover. EssilorLuxottica is currently by far the largest shareholder in Nikon.

So far, however, this remains speculation. Neither company has officially commented on a possible takeover. With over 200,000 employees and annual revenue of $33.27 billion, EssilorLuxottica is a significantly larger corporation than Nikon, as the Japanese camera manufacturer currently has "only" about 20,000 employees and annual revenue of $4.55 billion. Nikon is facing a challenging market environment – camera sales have plummeted due to smartphones.

According to a report by PhotographyTalk, which cites data from Nikkei, Nikon’s market share had fallen to just 8.9 percent by 2025, placing the company in fourth place behind Canon (45.7 percent), Sony (24.6 percent), and Fujifilm (11.8 percent). As always, rumors of takeovers should be viewed with caution. Even if EssilorLuxottica is seeking a takeover, several regulatory and antitrust approvals are required before it can be finalized.