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Kao Valuation Multiples
Discover revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples for Kao and similar public comparables like Essity, Beiersdorf, Yunnan Baiyao Group, Cooper Companies and more.
Kao Overview
About Kao
Kao is the largest household and personal care product manufacturer in Japan, with a footprint across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Japan remains its largest market, contributing about 50% of sales and operating profits with several leading brands, including Attack and Bioré. Initially a soap producer established in the 1890s, Kao has expanded into cosmetics, disposable hygiene products, and chemicals, in addition to its homecare and toiletry products. Asia, the largest overseas market, contributes around 15% of group sales. Kao has also acquired several Western skin- and haircare brands, including Jergens, John Frieda, Curél, Molton Brown, and the latest, Oribe.
Founded
1940
HQ
Employees
41.1K
Website
Sectors
Financials (LTM)
EV
$17B
Kao Financials
Kao reported last 12-month revenue of $11B and EBITDA of $2B.
In the same LTM period, Kao generated $5B in gross profit, $2B in EBITDA, and $788M in net income.
Revenue (LTM)
Kao P&L
In the most recent fiscal year, Kao reported revenue of $11B and EBITDA of $2B.
Kao expects next 12-month revenue of XXX and NTM EBITDA of XXX
| LTM | NTM | Last FY | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $11B | XXX | $11B | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Gross Profit | $5B | XXX | $4B | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Gross Margin | 42% | XXX | 39% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EBITDA | $2B | XXX | $2B | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EBITDA Margin | 15% | XXX | 15% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EBIT Margin | 10% | XXX | 10% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Net Profit | $788M | XXX | $766M | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Net Margin | 7% | XXX | 7% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
Financial data powered by Morningstar, Inc.
Kao Stock Performance
Kao has current market cap of $17B, and enterprise value of $17B.
Market Cap Evolution
Kao's stock price is $37.87.
| EV | Market Cap | Price 1D | Price 1M | Price 3M | Price 12M | EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17B | $17B | 0.3% | XXX | XXX | XXX | $1.69 |
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Start Free TrialKao Valuation Multiples
Kao trades at 1.5x EV/Revenue multiple, and 10.1x EV/EBITDA.
EV / Revenue (LTM)
Kao Financial Valuation Multiples
As of April 20, 2026, Kao has market cap of $17B and EV of $17B.
Equity research analysts estimate Kao's 2025E EV/Revenue multiple at XXX and 2025E EV/EBITDA multiple at XXX
Kao has a P/E ratio of 21.7x.
| LTM | NTM | Last FY | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap (current) | $17B | XXX | $17B | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV (current) | $17B | XXX | $17B | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV/Revenue | 1.5x | XXX | 1.5x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV/EBITDA | 10.1x | XXX | 10.4x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV/EBIT | 15.3x | XXX | 15.8x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV/Gross Profit | 3.6x | XXX | 3.9x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| P/E | 21.7x | XXX | 22.4x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EV/FCF | 21.6x | XXX | 22.1x | XXX | XXX | XXX |
Valuation data powered by FactSet, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc.
Verified Kao Valuation Multiples
Access all public comps and forward-looking valuation multiples like EV/Revenue in 2027, based on consensus analyst estimates. Powered by FactSet and Morningstar.
Kao Margins & Growth Rates
Kao's revenue in the last 12 month grew by 4%.
Kao's revenue per employee in the last FY averaged $0.3M, while opex per employee averaged $0.1M for the same period.
Kao's rule of 40 is 20% (metric relevant for SaaS companies only, counted as combined revenue growth rate and EBITDA margin).
Kao's rule of X is 28% (created by Bessemer, rule of X is another metric to measure SaaS companies, ~1.5x stronger vs. the traditional Rule of 40, counted as revenue growth rate multiplied by 2.5 plus EBITDA margin).
Kao Operational Valuation Multiples
| LTM | NTM | Last FY | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 4% | XXX | 4% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EBITDA Margin | 15% | XXX | 15% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| EBITDA Growth | 8% | XXX | 8% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Rule of 40 | — | XXX | 20% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Bessemer Rule of X | — | XXX | 28% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Revenue per Employee | — | XXX | $0.3M | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Opex per Employee | — | XXX | $0.1M | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| S&M Expenses to Revenue | 9% | XXX | 9% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| G&A Expenses to Revenue | — | XXX | 30% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| R&D Expenses to Revenue | 4% | XXX | 4% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Opex to Revenue | — | XXX | 30% | XXX | XXX | XXX |
Valuation data powered by FactSet, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc.
Kao Public Comps
See public comps and valuation multiples for other Health & Beauty and Home Care comps.
| EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTM | 2026E | 2027E | LTM | 2026E | 2027E | |
| Kao | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Essity | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Beiersdorf | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Yunnan Baiyao Group | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Cooper Companies | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Ryohin Keikaku | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
Valuation data powered by FactSet, Inc.
Kao M&A Activity
Kao acquired XXX companies to date.
Last acquisition by Kao was on XXXXXXXX, XXXXX. Kao acquired XXXXXXXX for XXX (EV/Revenue multiple of XXX).
Latest Acquisitions by Kao
| Acquired Company | Valuation | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
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Start Free TrialKao Investment Activity
Kao invested in XXX companies to date.
Kao made its latest investment on XXXXXXXX, XXXXX. Kao invested in XXXXXXXX for XXX (EV/Revenue multiple of XXX).
Latest Investments by Kao
| Company | Valuation | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| XXXXXXXXXXXX | XXX | XXX | XXX |
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Start Free TrialAbout Kao
| When was Kao founded? | Kao was founded in 1940. |
| Where is Kao headquartered? | Kao is headquartered in Japan. |
| How many employees does Kao have? | As of today, Kao has over 41K employees. |
| Who is the CEO of Kao? | Kao's CEO is Yoshihiro Hasebe. |
| Is Kao publicly listed? | Yes, Kao is a public company listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange. |
| What is the stock symbol of Kao? | Kao trades under 4452 ticker. |
| When did Kao go public? | Kao went public in 1949. |
| Who are competitors of Kao? | Kao main competitors are Essity, Beiersdorf, Yunnan Baiyao Group, Cooper Companies. |
| What is the current market cap of Kao? | Kao's current market cap is $17B. |
| What is the current revenue of Kao? | Kao's last 12 months revenue is $11B. |
| What is the current revenue growth of Kao? | Kao revenue growth (NTM/LTM) is 4%. |
| What is the current EV/Revenue multiple of Kao? | Current revenue multiple of Kao is 1.5x. |
| Is Kao profitable? | Yes, Kao is EBITDA-positive (as of the last 12 months). |
| What is the current EBITDA of Kao? | Kao's last 12 months EBITDA is $2B. |
| What is Kao's EBITDA margin? | Kao's last 12 months EBITDA margin is 15%. |
| What is the current EV/EBITDA multiple of Kao? | Current EBITDA multiple of Kao is 10.1x. |
| What is the current FCF of Kao? | Kao's last 12 months FCF is $767M. |
| What is Kao's FCF margin? | Kao's last 12 months FCF margin is 7%. |
| What is the current EV/FCF multiple of Kao? | Current FCF multiple of Kao is 21.6x. |
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