China slowdown concerns dim Ray-ban maker EssilorLuxottica’s first quarter By Reuters

By Juliette Portala

(Reuters) -EssilorLuxottica’s shares slipped on Friday as a downturn in its China enterprise overshadowed the French-Italian eyewear firm’s general better-than-expected first-quarter gross sales.

The group, which makes sun shades and spectacle frames for Prada (OTC:) and Versace, reported “deteriorating” gross sales in mainland China as coronavirus circumstances surged, saying about three quarters of its places have been impacted by COVID-related closures or subdued footfall.

“We’re nonetheless going via extreme visitors decline over there,” finance chief Stefano Grassi stated on a name, including that it was widespread with solely “a handful of exceptions”.

China’s race to halt the pandemic has clogged highways and ports, stranded staff and shut numerous factories, inflicting disruption that’s rippling via international provide chains.

Shares in EssilorLuxottica have been down 1.9% at 1110 GMT, paring earlier losses of as a lot as 3.9%.

“The market and significantly luxurious and shopper items shares are affected by rising issues a few slowdown in China attributable to lockdowns,” Bryan Garnier analyst Cedric Rossi wrote in an electronic mail to Reuters.

These disruptions additionally clouded French luxurious firm Kering (EPA:)’s first-quarter outcomes, reported on Thursday. Its shares fell as a lot as 7% on Friday, weighing on your entire luxurious sector, one other analyst famous.

“A SAFE HAVEN”

Grassi sounded optimistic at instances although, noting robust gross sales in China of Stellest lenses, which appropriate youngsters’s short-sightedness.

Stifel analyst Cedric Lecasble additionally burdened that the Ray-Ban maker’s publicity to China was restricted.

“A 5% gross sales publicity to China has insulated EssilorLuxottica from the top-line dilution that shopper friends are affected by,” analysts at Jefferies stated in a word to shoppers.

“The group’s resilience to the availability chain disruption … has equally set the shares as a protected haven,” they added.

EssilorLuxottica, which noticed demand for sun shades get well within the first three months of the 12 months, reported income of 5.61 billion euros ($6.09 billion), up 38.1% at present trade charges.

Analysts general pointed to a superb begin to the 12 months, with group gross sales 2% forward of consensus expectations, based on RBC Capital Markets’ Piral Dadhania.

($1 = 0.9219 euros)