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Investing.com -- EssilorLuxottica shares rose on Wednesday after Meta unveiled three new versions of its smart glasses, expanding their partnership with fresh models that include a high-end Ray-Ban Display, Oakley-branded Vanguard for athletes, and an updated Ray-Ban line.
Shares in the French eyewear giant climbed 1.7% as of 09:13 GMT.
Meta Platforms on Wednesday introduced its first smart glasses with an integrated display, aiming to build on the popularity of its Ray-Ban line, which has been one of the company’s most successful consumer products in the AI era.
At the Meta Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Ray-Ban Display alongside a new wristband controller. Zuckerberg called the glasses a natural step toward what he described as the AI vision of “superintelligence.”
The Ray-Ban Display features a small digital screen in the right lens for tasks like notifications. The glasses will go on sale September 30 for $799 and include a wristband that converts hand gestures into commands, such as replying to messages or answering calls.
Meta also rolled out Oakley-branded glasses called Vanguard, designed for athletes. Priced at $499 and launching October 21, the model connects with platforms like Garmin and Strava to provide real-time performance data and workout summaries, with up to nine hours of battery life.
The company further refreshed its existing Ray-Ban line, which lacks a display but now comes with nearly double the battery capacity and an upgraded camera. The new version is priced at $379, up from $299 for the earlier generation.
RBC Capital Markets analysts said they "view the building out of the smart glasses product range across price points and with improved and expanding functionality as positive" for EssilorLuxottica.
"We expect to see further acceleration in volume sales, which should benefit 4Q revenues for EssilorLuxottica, and can help to justify its valuation," a team led by Piral Dadhania noted.