Vuzix Confirms Addition to Russell 3000 and Russell 2000 Indexes

Rhea-AI Summary

Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), a leading provider of smart glasses and AR technologies, has confirmed its addition to the Russell 3000® Index effective June 27, 2025. This inclusion automatically places Vuzix in the small-cap Russell 2000® Index and relevant growth and value style indexes.

The Russell indexes, which benchmark approximately $10.6 trillion in assets, are widely utilized by investment managers and institutional investors. CEO Paul Travers highlighted this inclusion as validation of the company's strategy and its leadership position in advanced waveguide optics and augmented reality technology.

Positive

• Inclusion in prestigious Russell 3000 and Russell 2000 indexes increases visibility to institutional investors
• Recognition validates company's market position and growth in AR technology sector
• Access to broader institutional engagement opportunities

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

Vuzix's addition to Russell indexes increases visibility to institutional investors, potentially improving trading liquidity without changing fundamentals.

Vuzix Corporation's addition to the Russell 3000® and Russell 2000® Indexes represents a significant market structure development for the augmented reality technology company. This inclusion, effective June 27, 2025, occurs through FTSE Russell's annual reconstitution process that objectively ranks US companies by total market capitalization.

The practical implications are substantial. With approximately $10.6 trillion in assets benchmarked against Russell's US indexes, passive funds tracking these benchmarks will now include Vuzix in their portfolios. This typically creates immediate buying demand during index rebalancing and potentially improves trading liquidity over time.

For smaller technology companies like Vuzix, Russell index inclusion often serves as an institutional validation milestone. The increased visibility frequently attracts additional institutional investors who may have investment mandates requiring companies to be included in major indexes. Research coverage may also expand as a result, potentially bringing the company to a broader investment audience.

It's important to distinguish that index inclusion is a market structure event rather than an operational achievement. While inclusion doesn't directly affect Vuzix's fundamental business operations or financial position, it does reflect that the company has reached a market capitalization threshold significant enough to place it among the 3,000 largest publicly traded US companies.

CEO Paul Travers' comments frame this development as both validation of the company's strategy in the AR space and a potential catalyst for expanded institutional engagement, highlighting management's focus on leveraging this recognition to further their market position in waveguide optics and augmented reality technologies.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), ("Vuzix" or, the "Company"), a leading supplier of smart glasses, waveguides, and augmented reality (AR) technologies, today confirmed its addition to the broad-market Russell 3000® Index effective June 27, 2025.

Annual Russell indexes reconstitution captures the 3,000 largest US stocks, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the US all-cap Russell 3000® Index, which currently remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000® Index or small-cap Russell 2000® Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.

"Vuzix is at the forefront of next-generation wearable displays, and our leadership in advanced waveguide optics is helping to define what's possible in augmented reality," said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. "Our inclusion in the Russell Indexes is a meaningful acknowledgment of the progress we've made. We see this as both validation of our strategy and a catalyst for broader institutional engagement as we continue to push the boundaries of AR innovation on a global scale."

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $10.6 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell's US indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.

For more information on the Russell 3000® Index and the Russell indexes reconstitution, go to the "Russell Reconstitution" section on the FTSE Russell website.

About Vuzix Corporation

Vuzix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of AI-powered Smart Glasses, Waveguides and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, components and products for the enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets. The Company's products include head-mounted smart personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality, as well OEM waveguide optical components and display engines. Vuzix holds more than 425 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the fields of optics, head-mounted displays, and the augmented reality wearables field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2024 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in: Rochester, NY; and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan.  For more information, visit the Vuzix website, X and Facebook pages.

About FTSE Russell

FTSE Russell is a global index leader that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide. FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally.

FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. Approximately $18.1 trillion is benchmarked to FTSE Russell indexes. Leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers and investment banks choose FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark their investment performance and create ETFs, structured products and index-based derivatives.

A core set of universal principles guides FTSE Russell index design and management: a transparent rules-based methodology is informed by independent committees of leading market participants. FTSE Russell is focused on applying the highest industry standards in index design and governance and embraces the IOSCO Principles. FTSE Russell is also focused on index innovation and customer partnerships as it seeks to enhance the breadth, depth and reach of its offering.

FTSE Russell is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group.

For more information, visit www.ftserussell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements contained in this release relate to the Company shares being included in the Russell Index and its potential impact on Vuzix shares and their trading, if any, and among other things the Company's leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as "believes," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "should" and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company's beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company's actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

Media and Investor Relations Contact:

Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations
Vuzix Corporation
ed_mcgregor@vuzix.com
Tel: (585) 359-5985

Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA,
Investor Information – IR@vuzix.com www.vuzix.com 

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SOURCE Vuzix Corporation

FAQ

When will Vuzix (NASDAQ: VUZI) be added to the Russell 3000 Index?

Vuzix will be added to the Russell 3000 Index effective June 27, 2025.

What does Vuzix's inclusion in the Russell 3000 Index mean for the company?

The inclusion means automatic membership in the Russell 2000 Index and increased visibility to institutional investors who use Russell indexes as benchmarks.

How long will Vuzix remain in the Russell 3000 Index?

Membership in the Russell 3000 Index remains in place for one year following inclusion.

How many assets are benchmarked against Russell's US indexes?

Approximately $10.6 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell's US indexes.

What is Vuzix's main business focus?

Vuzix is a leading supplier of smart glasses, waveguides, and augmented reality (AR) technologies.