Ray-Ban maker shares hits all-time high as investors bet on Meta AI glasses boom

Core Insights - EssilorLuxottica's shares surged 14% to an all-time high, adding nearly $20 billion in market value due to investor enthusiasm for AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta glasses [1][5] - The company reported third-quarter sales growth of 11.7% year-over-year, reaching €6.9 billion ($8.1 billion), marking its best quarterly performance ever [2] - Smart glasses have become a focal point for analysts and investors, with Barclays predicting 60 million units sold globally by 2035 [3] Financial Performance - The AI-powered glasses contributed over four percentage points to sales growth, prompting the company to accelerate production capacity plans [4] - EssilorLuxottica's market capitalization reached €126.5 billion following the significant rise in share price [5] Product Development and Market Position - The latest Ray-Ban Meta models are priced between $379 and $799, with plans for expansion into Canada, France, Italy, and Britain by early 2026 [6] - The success of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses has revitalized interest in the eyewear computer market, previously abandoned by Google and Microsoft [6] - Major tech companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple are re-entering the smart glasses market, indicating a competitive landscape [7]