FedEx and EssilorLuxottica Face Refund Lawsuits Over Tariffs
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy FDX?
Source: seekingalpha
- Lawsuit Context: FedEx (FDX) and EssilorLuxottica (ESLOY) are facing lawsuits from customers seeking refunds related to emergency tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, highlighting legal uncertainties and potential financial impacts for these companies.
- Legal Challenges: The lawsuit in Florida claims that FedEx's promise to issue refunds lacks legal enforceability and is contingent on future government and court guidance, which may lead to delays or uncertainties in the refund process.
- Consumer Impact: The complaint against EssilorLuxottica argues that consumers paid higher prices due to tariff surcharges, and despite seeking refunds, the company continues to collect these fees, potentially harming brand reputation and customer trust.
- Industry Trend: At least 2,000 firms, including FedEx, are suing the government to recover duties paid under Trump’s tariffs, indicating widespread dissatisfaction with tariff policies and urgent demand for refunds across the industry.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy FDX?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on FDX
Wall Street analysts forecast FDX stock price to fall
20 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 387.680
Low
210.00
Averages
315.05
High
365.00
Current: 387.680
Low
210.00
Averages
315.05
High
365.00
About FDX
FedEx Corporation provides customers and businesses with a portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. The Company offers integrated business solutions utilizing its flexible and efficient global network. Its segments include Federal Express, FedEx Freight, and Corporate, other, and eliminations. Federal Express segment includes express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation, and it also operates combined sales, marketing, administrative, and information-technology functions in shared service operations for United States customers. FedEx Freight segment includes FedEx Freight (LTL freight transportation) and FedEx Custom Critical (time-critical transportation). Corporate, other, and elimination segments include FedEx Dataworks, Inc. (FedEx Dataworks), FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (FedEx Office), and FedEx Logistics, Inc. (FedEx Logistics). FedEx Logistics offers customs brokerage, specialty transportation, and others.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Lawsuit Context: FedEx (FDX) and EssilorLuxottica (ESLOY) are facing lawsuits from customers seeking refunds related to emergency tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, highlighting legal uncertainties and potential financial impacts for these companies.
- Legal Challenges: The lawsuit in Florida claims that FedEx's promise to issue refunds lacks legal enforceability and is contingent on future government and court guidance, which may lead to delays or uncertainties in the refund process.
- Consumer Impact: The complaint against EssilorLuxottica argues that consumers paid higher prices due to tariff surcharges, and despite seeking refunds, the company continues to collect these fees, potentially harming brand reputation and customer trust.
- Industry Trend: At least 2,000 firms, including FedEx, are suing the government to recover duties paid under Trump’s tariffs, indicating widespread dissatisfaction with tariff policies and urgent demand for refunds across the industry.
See More
- Market Panic Intensifies: On February 23, the market experienced a significant sell-off, particularly in tech stocks, due to growing concerns about AI's potential impact on the economy and industries, leading to a 1% drop in the S&P 500 index, reflecting investor anxiety about the future.
- IBM Shares Plummet: The announcement by AI startup Anthropic that its Claude Code tool could modernize the COBOL programming language resulted in IBM's shares falling 13% on the day, marking its worst single-day loss since 2000, highlighting the direct threat AI poses to traditional tech companies.
- Focus on HALO Stocks: As concerns about AI's impact grow, investors are increasingly seeking out
See More
- Market Panic Intensifies: On February 23, 2023, a major sell-off occurred due to fears about AI's potential impact on companies and the economy, particularly hitting tech stocks hard, with IBM shares plummeting 13%, marking its worst single-day loss since 2000.
- Unemployment Rate Warning: Citrini Research issued a report predicting that in two years, AI-induced job displacement could push the unemployment rate above 10%, which spooked the markets and led to a 1% drop in the S&P 500 index on the same day.
- Investors Shift to HALO Stocks: In light of growing concerns about AI's impact, investors are increasingly seeking HALO stocks, which are deemed less vulnerable to AI disruption and may even benefit from the efficiencies AI can provide.
- Examples of HALO Stocks: HALO stocks mentioned by Josh Brown include ExxonMobil, McDonald's, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, and Deere, all of which are considered less susceptible to AI replacement due to their heavy asset bases and have outperformed IBM and other tech stocks in 2023.
See More
- Class Action Initiated: At least two retail customers have filed proposed class-action lawsuits against FedEx and EssilorLuxottica in U.S. courts, aiming to ensure consumers receive a share of any tariff refunds obtained by these companies, highlighting consumer dissatisfaction with tariff policies.
- Massive Tariff Amounts: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration lacked legal authority, with estimated amounts ranging from $130 billion to $175 billion, prompting over 1,000 companies, including Revlon and Costco, to file lawsuits in the U.S. Court of International Trade to protect their rights to refunds.
- FedEx's Commitment: FedEx stated it would return any potential tariff refunds to shippers and customers who paid them, but the consumer lawsuit claims this promise lacks legal enforceability and is contingent on future government and court guidance that may never materialize.
- Consumer Rights Protection: Legal experts anticipate more consumer lawsuits will emerge, particularly against companies that itemized tariff charges on invoices, as consumers question why they shouldn't receive refunds if these duties were deemed illegal, thereby exerting additional pressure on businesses to share any tax refunds they secure.
See More
- Lawsuit Background: Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that President Trump unlawfully imposed emergency tariffs, FedEx (FDX) was sued on February 27, seeking refunds for potentially millions of customers who paid improper duties, indicating significant legal exposure for the company.
- Refund Commitment: FedEx stated that if ordered to issue refunds, it would reimburse the shippers and consumers who originally incurred those charges; however, the lawsuit claims this promise lacks legal enforceability, potentially undermining the company's reputation and customer trust.
- Scale of Litigation: The class action lawsuit filed in Miami, Florida, involves customers who paid duties on imported goods that should have been exempt, highlighting the complexities FedEx faces in navigating tariff-related issues.
- Industry Impact: In addition to FedEx, over 2,000 companies are suing the federal government in the U.S. Court of International Trade for tariff refunds, indicating a widespread legal challenge that could expose more businesses to similar litigation risks.
See More
- Massive Investment Commitment: Amazon has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI worth up to $50 billion, including an initial investment of $15 billion, with an additional $35 billion contingent on OpenAI meeting specific milestones, significantly enhancing Amazon's competitive edge in the AI sector.
- Infrastructure Expansion: OpenAI will leverage Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, committing to deploy 2 gigawatts of Trainium AI chips, which not only boosts OpenAI's computational capabilities but also presents new growth opportunities for Amazon's cloud services business.
- Market Competitive Advantage: This partnership positions Amazon more favorably against competitors like Microsoft and Google in the AI market, particularly by gaining access to powerful AI models from OpenAI, which could drive innovation in its consumer products.
- Long-term Strategic Layout: The collaboration with OpenAI not only supplements existing AI technologies but may also foster further cooperation in emerging areas like agentic commerce, demonstrating Amazon's commitment to long-term investments in the AI domain.
See More











