By Sam Nussey
TOKYO, July 30 (Reuters) – Japanese camera lens maker Tamron said on Thursday it has received an acquisition proposal from Sony Group and that it has established a committee to review its options.
The optical components manufacturer said in a statement that Sony made a non-binding proposal for a series of transactions to turn it into a wholly owned subsidiary. Tamron did not disclose the financial details of the proposal.
Tamron shares were untraded with a glut of buy orders on the Tokyo stock exchange and looked set to close limit-up. The company had a market capitalisation of $1.18 billion as at Wednesday’s close. Sony’s shares were down 0.3%.
A Sony spokesperson said the entertainment and technology conglomerate believes the proposal will enhance Tamron’s corporate value and the interests of its stakeholders, and contribute to the development of Sony’s imaging business.
Sony is a leading manufacturer of cameras and image sensors, while Tamron is a supplier of lenses for cameras made by Sony and rivals Nikon and Canon.
Sony owns 14.7% of Tamron, LSEG data showed. Singapore-based Effissimo Capital is the largest shareholder with 17.4%.
Tamron, which was founded in 1950, reported operating profit fell 13% to 16.7 billion yen ($102.15 million) in the year ended December 2025.
Shares in Sony have been under pressure in recent months as investors worry about supply chain disruption and the impact of artificial intelligence on its entertainment business.
Sony is expected to be a major beneficiary of the launch of the highly anticipated video game “Grand Theft Auto VI”, which is set for November, but is grappling with the high price of memory chips.
($1 = 163.4900 yen)
(Reporting by Sam Nussey and Hina Suzuki; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Christopher Cushing and Lincoln Feast)
