National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on EYE. Weiss Ratings raised shares of National Vision from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on National Vision from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays increased their target price on National Vision from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup raised their price target on National Vision from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $35.00 price objective on National Vision in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.21.

National Vision Stock Down 8.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:EYE opened at $25.14 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $27.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 67.95, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.38. National Vision has a 12-month low of $10.45 and a 12-month high of $30.02.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.09. National Vision had a return on equity of 5.15% and a net margin of 1.49%.The firm 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 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. Sell-side analysts expect that National Vision will post 0.31 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 4,071 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.57, for a total transaction of $120,379.47. Following the sale, the chairman owned 359,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,626,245.63. The trade was a 1.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Vision

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position 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 increased its position in shares of National Vision by 16.6% in the fourth 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. increased its position in shares of National Vision by 274.6% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of National Vision by 27.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,783,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $149,335,000 after buying an additional 1,251,499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of 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.