EssilorLuxottica Logs Worst Week In Nearly Four Years As Apple Eyes AI Smart Glasses

EssilorLuxottica Logs Worst Week In Nearly Four Years As Apple Eyes AI Smart Glasses Shares of EssilorLuxottica SA are on track for their worst weekly decline in nearly four years, as competition in the smart-glasses market intensified this week following reports that Apple plans to launch AI-powered smart glasses in 2027. EssilorLuxottica manufactures the smart glasses that Meta sells under the Ray-Ban partnership. These glasses are in the sub-$500 category, which proves that affordability wins. Meta nailed that sweet spot in pricing, while Tim Cook's $3,500 Vision Pro has been an epic bust and failed to achieve mass adoption. It's not just Apple. Citigroup analyst Veronika Dubajova noted this week that her team "expects a number of competitive launches in the smart eyewear market over the next 12 to 24 months." Bloomberg-tracked Wall Street analyst ratings show no meaningful wave of downgrades following this week's Apple news, with roughly 93% of covering analysts maintaining a "Buy" recommendation. Stifel analyst Cedric Rossi said that the entry of Apple and Google into the smart-glasses market represents more of a catalyst than a threat. "Their presence should accelerate consumer awareness and expand the total addressable market," he told clients earlier this week, adding that EssilorLuxottica "retains several key competitive advantages." Shares of EssilorLuxottica in Paris are down about 10% this week, marking their largest weekly decline since the first week of March 2022. From the 2025 peak, shares are down 26%. Goldman analyst Jerry Shen recently published a detailed view of the AI and AR glasses supply chain, breaking it down by the companies that supply the critical components behind these devices (see report). Tim Cook blew it with Vision Pro ... Meta takes the win. Apple has to focus on affordability ... Tyler Durden Fri, 02/20/2026 - 08:20

By Tyler Durden