Developed with Nikkei Research Inc. and Nikkei Digital Media Inc., the Nikkei NICES corporate ranking assesses companies across five different areas: investors, consumers and corporate clients, employees, society and growth potential. Companies can earn up to 200 points in each of these areas, with judges ranking areas such as dividends and market capitalisation in the investor category and environmental activities which are important to society.
Canon scored a total of 880 out of a possible 1,000 points in the judging taking the top position ahead of Honda and Takeda Pharmaceutical, who achieved scores of 868 and 861 points respectively. Canon took a strong lead in the society category in particular, with high scores in employment and tax payments, social contribution and environmental measures. The company was noted for sustaining its earnings and its growth-oriented investments such as the acquisition of Océ.
Other companies that appeared in the NICES top 10 included Shiseido, Panasonic, NTT DoCoMo and Toshiba.