A pair of aviator sunglasses worn by French President Emmanuel Macron triggered a sharp rally in the shares of their maker, Italy’s iVision Tech, highlighting the power of viral moments on financial markets.
«This certainly created a wow effect on the stock,» iVision Tech chief executive Stefano Fulchir told Reuters.
The surge has added about 3.5 mln euros to the Milan-listed group’s market capitalisation.
Macron’s appearance fuelled a wave of memes and speculation online, with frequent comparisons to the 1986 film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. Even U.S. President Donald Trump joined the online chatter.
The French presidency said Macron wore the sunglasses indoors during his speech to protect his eyes after a burst blood vessel. It did not confirm the brand. Fulchir, however, said he immediately recognised the glasses as a Henry Jullien model he had sent to Macron in 2024.
iVision Tech shares rose nearly 6% on January 21 before trading was automatically halted for much of the session. They briefly resumed around 11:15 GMT on January 22 before being suspended again. The stock was up almost 28% on January 22, putting it on track for its biggest one-day gain on record after Macron’s look at the World Economic Forum in Davos went viral.
The company, which owns the French luxury eyewear brand Henry Jullien, said the president wore its Pacific S 01 model, priced at 659 euros on the group’s website.
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