CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France—Essilor International posted consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2015 totaling €1,659 million, an increase of 25.4 percent over year ago, or 12.8 percent excluding the currency effect. Based on the strong performance, Essilor management predicted the company will meet its 2015 financial targets.

For its lenses and optical instruments business, Essilor generated €1,454 million, up 25.3 percent over year ago, or 12 percent excluding the currency effect. In North America, its largest market, Essilor generated €650 million in revenue, a 39.2 percent increase over year ago, or 21.3 percent without the currency effect. In Europe, Essilor posted revenue of €441 million for its lenses and instruments business, up 10.4 percent versus year ago, or 1 percent without the currency effect.

Essilor’s worldwide revenue for sunglasses and readers accounted for €163 million in revenue, up 31.4 percent from year ago, or 20 percent without the currency effect. The company’s equipment business generated €42 million in revenue, up 9.3 percent from year ago, or 13.7 percent without the currency effect.

"This first-quarter 2015 performance confirms our strong growth potential, which is benefiting from the broadening of our playing field and the extension of our geographical reach to meet the multiple eyesight correction and visual protection needs around the world,” commented Hubert Sagnieres, chairman and CEO of Essilor.

“Excluding Japan, mature markets picked up pace while fast-growing markets remained vibrant despite the lackluster economic environment in certain countries. Business momentum should continue to accelerate throughout the year on the back of the ramp-up of the media campaigns and recent contract wins for our different businesses, as well as the contribution of new local partnerships. That is why we are confident that our full-year 2015 targets will be met,” he said.

Essilor reported like-for-like growth of 4.0 percent in the first quarter, which it attributed in part to like-for-like revenue growth of 4.4 percent for the lenses and optical instruments division, driven by “dynamic performances in the United States and in Europe, and the strong increase in sales of high value-added lenses Crizal, Varilux and Transitions.”

Essilor also cited other growth factors, including domestic growth of almost 12 percent in fast-growing countries (all businesses combined); strong sales growth for Bolon and Costa sunglasses in China and the U.S., respectively; and an anticipated decline in FGX sales in North America, which Essilor predicted will rebound starting in the second quarter.