National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Stock Price Down 7.2% – Here’s Why

Shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) were down 7.2% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $24.17 and last traded at $24.0390. Approximately 1,001,844 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 21% from the average daily volume of 1,270,281 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on EYE. Wolfe Research set a $35.00 price objective on National Vision in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Zacks Research lowered National Vision from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. National Bank Financial set a $32.00 target price on National Vision in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of National Vision in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised National Vision from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $31.21.

National Vision Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.88 billion, a PE ratio of 64.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.55.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $503.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $495.26 million. National Vision had a net margin of 1.49% and a return on equity of 5.15%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.04) EPS. National Vision has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-1.090 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Vision

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EYE. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in National Vision by 416.9% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,651 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in shares of National Vision by 16.6% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 8,303 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,000 after buying an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. grew its position in shares of National Vision by 274.6% in the 4th quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 73,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,890,000 after buying an additional 53,660 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of National Vision by 27.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,783,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,335,000 after buying an additional 1,251,499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in National Vision during the 4th quarter worth $16,109,000.

National Vision Company Profile

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.