Are AI Glasses the Future? Meta Thinks So

Are AI Glasses the Future? Meta Thinks So

Meta Platforms [META] has acquired a nearly 3% stake — worth about €3bn — in EssilorLuxottica [ESLOF], the world’s largest eyewear maker and parent of Ray-Ban. The move strengthens Meta’s push into glasses powered by artificial intelligence (AI), with potential to grow its stake to 5%. In a note seen by Bloomberg, Bernstein analysts see the deal as a vote of confidence in both EssilorLuxottica and the broader smart eyewear opportunity.

Autonomous Driving Stock Predicts Revenue Beat 

Intel-backed [INTC] Mobileye [MBLY] raised its Q2 revenue forecast to $502m–506m, well above the $466.6m consensus, with adjusted operating income of $98m–104m. Results are due July 24. Meanwhile, Intel plans to offload $900m in MBLY shares, with underwriters able to sell another $123m. MBLY will buy back $100m directly. Shares are down 7% year-to-date and still below IPO levels.

Merck Closes in on $10bn Acquisition

The pharma giant [MRK] is close to acquiring Verona Pharma [VRNA] for around $10bn, aiming to bolster its respiratory pipeline, the Financial Times reported. The deal would add chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drug Ohtuvayre, forecast to hit $4bn in peak annual sales. With blockbuster Keytruda facing patent expiry and price controls by 2028, Merck is seeking revenue replacements. This would be its largest buyout since Prometheus in 2023.

Nio Cruises Toward Profitability

A relatively small player in a cut-throat domestic market, Shanghai-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio [NIO] is best known for its battery swap and smart driving solutions. While still a pre-profit company, promising sales figures have company executives projecting a turn to profitability by the end of 2025. As Nio moves into new markets, OPTO investigates the investment case for this dynamic EV stock. 

Apple in the Race for Formula 1 Rights

Following the box office success of F1 starring Brad Pitt, the iPhone maker [AAPL] is reportedly in talks to acquire the US rights to screen Formula 1. Disney’s [DIS] ESPN is the sport’s current US broadcaster, but the contract will become available in 2026. Analysts at Citi estimated the broadcast deal will be worth at least $121m annually, and it could represent the next step in Apple’s expansion into live sports streaming. 

Super Micro to Boost Europe Investment

As part of a wider expansion of global manufacturing — including new facilities in Malaysia and Taiwan set to come online this year — Super Micro Computer [SMCI] is looking to grow its footprint in Europe. The company already has a manufacturing site in the Netherlands and offers servers with Nvidia [NVDA] chips for AI training. CEO Charles Liang told CNBC that AI demand on the continent is “growing fast” and there is “already a plan to invest more in Europe, including manufacturing”.

OpenAI Scores Big Win in the Talent War

The AI leader has poached four top engineers from Tesla [TSLA], xAI and Meta to bolster its scaling team, which oversees the infrastructure behind AI training, Wired reported. New recruits include Tesla’s former vice president of software David Lau, xAI’s infrastructure head Uday Ruddarraju, xAI’s Mike Dalton and Meta researcher Angela Fan. Read OPTO’s recent deep dive into the past, present and future of OpenAI.