By Andrea Figueras


EssilorLuxottica said it is confident in delivering on its long-term targets after it posted higher revenue for the first quarter.

The Franco-Italian eyewear company said Thursday that it made revenue of 6.335 billion euros ($6.76 billion) for the first three months of 2024, up 5.5% at constant currency compared with the year-earlier period.

The result fell short of analysts' expectations of EUR6.42 billion, according to a poll of estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.

"We're pleased to report another solid start to the year for the company, with every geography and business contributing to the positive performance," Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Francesco Milleri and Deputy CEO Paul du Saillant said.

The growth rate came in line with the long-term outlook, the company said. However, it showed a deceleration compared with the final quarter of 2023, when revenue increased 7.1% on year at constant currency.

The first three months faced a difficult comparison base as this period was the strongest one in 2022 and 2023, EssilorLuxottica said.

The top-performing regions were Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

As for North America, revenue was up 1.7% at constant currency, reversing the unexpected acceleration seen in the final quarter of 2023. The company is grappling with a slowdown in the region due to sluggish sales of sunglasses.

"With this positive momentum, we approach the first half of the year with optimism," Milleri and du Saillant said.

The Ray-Ban maker didn't disclose specific targets for 2024, but backed its long-term guidance. From 2022 to 2026, it continues to anticipate mid-single-digit annual revenue growth at constant exchange rates and an adjusted operating margin of between 19% and 20% by the end of that period.


Write to Andrea Figueras at andrea.figueras@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-18-24 1311ET