National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on EYE. Wolfe Research set a $35.00 target price on National Vision in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup upped their price target on National Vision from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 price objective on shares of National Vision in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on National Vision from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of National Vision from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $31.21.

National Vision Price Performance

EYE stock opened at $26.28 on Thursday. National Vision has a 1 year low of $10.45 and a 1 year high of $30.02. The company has a market cap of $2.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.03, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $27.28 and a 200 day moving average of $26.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.09. National Vision had a net margin of 1.49% and a return on equity of 5.15%. The business had revenue of $503.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.26 million. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.04) earnings per share. National Vision’s quarterly revenue was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. National Vision has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-1.090 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that National Vision will post 0.31 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at National Vision

In other National Vision news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 7,601 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.58, for a total value of $224,837.58. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 694,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,554,550.40. The trade was a 1.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Vision

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EYE. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new position in National Vision during the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,090,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of National Vision in the third quarter worth $8,390,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in National Vision by 14.6% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 308,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,018,000 after buying an additional 39,394 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of National Vision by 4,726.8% during the third quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 977,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,534,000 after purchasing an additional 957,273 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of National Vision during the third quarter valued at approximately $747,000.

About National Vision

National Vision Holdings, Inc is an American optical retailer specializing in accessible vision care and eyewear. The company operates under multiple retail banners, offering comprehensive eye health services and a wide range of optical products. Since its founding in the early 1990s, National Vision has focused on providing value-driven solutions, targeting underserved and price‐conscious consumer segments.

Through its primary retail brands—including America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Eyeglass World, Optical America and Vista Optical—National Vision delivers services such as comprehensive eye examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, sunglasses and lens accessories.