LY (TSE:4689): Exploring Valuation After Recent Share Moves Without Major News

Simply Wall St

LY (TSE:4689) shares have been moving in a way that may catch the eye of investors, even though there has not been a headline-grabbing event triggering the latest activity. Sometimes, quiet stretches in the news cycle are just as revealing, raising questions about what the market is signaling and whether sentiment is shifting below the surface. For those following LY, it’s natural to wonder whether these moves might hint at a new phase for the company or simply reflect broader market trends.

Looking at the bigger picture, LY’s stock price has climbed 26% over the past year, showing signs of steady momentum despite a more muted stretch in the past 3 months. There have been no major developments lately, making the recent performance all the more interesting when set against the company’s consistent revenue and net income growth. This year’s gains build on longer-term upward movement, though the past 3 years have seen only moderate returns compared to earlier highs.

After this year’s solid climb, are investors catching LY on the cusp of another growth phase, or is the market already pricing in all the company’s upside?

Most Popular Narrative: 11.7% Undervalued

The prevailing narrative suggests that LY is currently undervalued, presenting potential upside relative to the analysts’ consensus fair value estimates.

Ongoing investment in proprietary technology, platform integration, and international expansion, including new sales subsidiaries focused on SMBs and sector-specific verticals, lays the groundwork for higher operational efficiency, greater market share, and increased capital returns to shareholders via substantial share buybacks. These factors are anticipated to support longer-term earnings growth and improved capital efficiency.

Curious about the engine driving this double-digit undervaluation call? The narrative features aggressive assumptions on profit margins and a future earnings profile, underpinned by a rate of growth that might surprise even seasoned market-watchers. The calculation leans on bold projections, but how do they stack up against today’s fundamentals? Explore the full narrative to see which forecasted milestones are doing the heavy lifting behind this seemingly attractive price target.

Result: Fair Value of ¥567.4 (UNDERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.

However, ongoing declines in search ad revenue and higher integration costs could hinder LY's growth narrative if new digital initiatives fail to scale rapidly.

Find out about the key risks to this LY narrative.

Another View: How Does the DCF Model Stack Up?

Taking a different approach, our DCF model suggests LY may not be quite as undervalued as the analyst consensus implies. This offers a more conservative take on fair value. Which outlook better reflects today's realities?

Look into how the SWS DCF model arrives at its fair value.
4689 Discounted Cash Flow as at Sep 2025
Simply Wall St performs a discounted cash flow (DCF) on every stock in the world every day (check out LY for example). We show the entire calculation in full. You can track the result in your watchlist or portfolio and be alerted when this changes, or use our stock screener to discover undervalued stocks based on their cash flows. If you save a screener we even alert you when new companies match - so you never miss a potential opportunity.

Build Your Own LY Narrative

If you think there’s another side to the story or want to dive deeper into the numbers, you can put together your own narrative in just a few minutes. Do it your way

A good starting point is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards investors are optimistic about regarding LY.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.

Discover if LY might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.

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