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Investing.com -- EssilorLuxottica SA (EPA:ESLX) shares rose more than 5% on Tuesday after the eyewear giant reported a 7.3% increase in first-half revenue, driven by sharp growth in smart glasses and direct-to-consumer sales.
The Franco-Italian group posted revenue of €14.02 billion for the six months ended June 30, at constant exchange rates.
Operating profit came in at €2.53 billion, with the adjusted operating margin steady at 18.3% of sales.
The company said higher costs from new U.S. import duties were offset by product mix and scale efficiencies.
Sales of Ray-Ban Meta (NASDAQ:META) smart glasses surged more than 200% year-over-year in the first half.
The company also launched Oakley Meta Performance smart glasses during the period and announced a 50th anniversary edition of Oakley’s HSTN collection, set for release later this summer.
“The success of Ray-Ban Meta, the launch of Oakley Meta, and the positive response to Nuance Audio are major milestones for us in this new frontier,” Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri and Deputy CEO Paul du Saillant said in a joint statement.
EssilorLuxottica said Nuance Audio has already rolled out to 10,000 retail locations across North America and Europe.
The EMEA region led performance with 9.5% revenue growth at constant exchange rates.
North America also posted a strong quarter, while Asia-Pacific and Latin America contributed to overall gains. Direct-to-consumer revenue increased 10.2%, supported by in-store and e-commerce demand.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) described the results as “reassuring” and “close to in-line” with consensus forecasts, noting “pleasingly robust” performance in North America and highlighting ongoing growth initiatives including smart glasses, Nuance Audio, myopia management, and diagnostics.
The brokerage trimmed its estimates by 1% and maintained an “overweight” rating on the stock with a price target of €280.