Essilor : Capital Increase Reserved for Employees

Regulatory News:

Essilor (Paris:EI):

At the Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting of May 7, 2014, Essilor International’s Board of Directors was given a 21-month authorization to issue shares to members of Essilor employee stock ownership plans (15^th resolution). The maximum number of common shares authorized for issuance was set at 3,226,452, representing no more than 1.5% of capital stock.

At its meeting on November 25, 2014, the Board of Directors decided to use this authorization to issue up to 440,000 common shares for subscription by members of the Essilor / BBGR / Novacel Ophtalmique / Novisia / BNL Eurolens / Delamare Sovra and OMI employee stock ownership plans. The new shares will carry rights as from January 1^st, 2014. They will be offered at a price of €69.73 per share, corresponding to the average of the opening prices quoted over the last twenty trading days preceding the Board’s November 25, 2014 decision to issue the shares, less a 20% discount.

The purpose of this offer is to associate all of the Company’s employees with its development by allowing them to become shareholders of the Company. Employees may purchase the shares through two funds. These funds have been given a specific value since January 1^st, 2014, the start date of the subscription period. The closing date of the subscription period is December 5, 2014. The actual number of shares issued will be announced on December 19, 2014 and the Company will then apply for the new shares (par value: €0.18) to be listed on Euronext Paris.

The Company's capital stock amounts to €38,717,420.76, represented by 215,096,782 shares.

About Essilor

The world’s leading ophthalmic optics company, Essilor designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of lenses to correct and protect eyesight. Its corporate mission is to improve vision to improve life. To support this mission, the Company allocates more than €150 million to research and innovation every year, in a commitment to continuously bring new, more effective products to market. Essilor’s flagship brands are Varilux^®, Crizal^®, Transitions^®, Definity^®, Xperio^®, Optifog™, Foster Grant^®, Bolon^® and Costa^®. It also develops and markets equipment, instruments and services for eyecare professionals.
Essilor reported consolidated revenue of over €5 billion in 2013 and employs more than 55,000 people. It distributes its products in some 100 countries with 28 plants, more than 450 prescription laboratories and edging facilities, as well as several research and development centers around the world.
For more information, please visit www.essilor.com.
The Essilor share trades on the Euronext Paris market and is included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices.
Codes and symbols: ISIN: FR0000121667; Reuters: ESSI.PA; Bloomberg: EI:FP.