Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 22, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleMacron's aviator sunglasses led to a $4M increase in iVision Tech's stock after his Davos speech went viral, highlighting the power of social media.
PARIS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Emmanuel Macron's aviator sunglasses drove the shares of their maker, iVision Tech, almost 28% higher on Thursday after the French president's look during his speech at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos went viral online.
The group, which owns French high-end eyewear brand Henry Jullien, said on Wednesday that the model worn by Macron was its Pacific S 01, with a price tag of 659 euros ($770) on its website.
This "certainly created a wow effect on the stock", iVision Tech CEO Stefano Fulchir told Reuters.
The share rally has added around 3.5 million euros ($4.1 million) to the Italian company's market capitalisation.
Memes, comments and speculation over Macron's appearance surged on social media, with ubiquitous references to the 1986 movie Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. Even U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in.
Macron's office said the choice to wear sunglasses during his speech, which took place indoors, was to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel. It did not confirm the brand of the glasses.
Yet, Fulchir said he could clearly recognise the Henry Jullien glasses, which he said he had sent to Macron in 2024.
The Milan-listed shares rose nearly 6% on Wednesday, before being automatically halted from trading for most of the day. They briefly resumed trading around 1115 GMT on Thursday before being halted again, and were on track for their highest one-day jump on record.
($1 = 0.8546 euros)
(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Philippe Leroy Beaulieu, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
Market capitalisation is the total market value of a company's outstanding shares, calculated by multiplying the share price by the total number of shares. It reflects the company's size and is used to assess its value.
A stock price surge refers to a rapid increase in the price of a company's shares, often driven by positive news, investor sentiment, or market trends. This can significantly impact the company's market capitalisation.
Consumer perception is how customers view a brand or product based on their experiences, beliefs, and feelings. It influences purchasing decisions and can affect a company's reputation and sales.
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