National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $20.94, but opened at $18.99. National Vision shares last traded at $16.2460, with a volume of 1,406,380 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EYE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered National Vision from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on National Vision from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Barclays raised their price objective on National Vision from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on National Vision from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on National Vision from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, National Vision presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.08.

National Vision Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a PE ratio of 44.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.48.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.09. National Vision had a return on equity of 5.15% and a net margin of 1.49%.The business had revenue of $503.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.26 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.04) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. National Vision has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-1.090 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.66 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at National Vision

In other news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 7,601 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.58, for a total transaction of $224,837.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 694,880 shares in the company, valued at $20,554,550.40. This trade represents a 1.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Vision

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EYE. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of National Vision by 4.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 46,257 shares of the company’s stock valued at $591,000 after acquiring an additional 1,948 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Vision by 6.0% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 235,125 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,005,000 after acquiring an additional 13,384 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning bought a new stake in National Vision in the 2nd quarter worth about $395,000. Walleye Capital LLC increased its holdings in National Vision by 29.4% in the 2nd quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 27,127 shares of the company’s stock worth $624,000 after buying an additional 6,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in National Vision by 13.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 16,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $389,000 after buying an additional 2,049 shares in the last quarter.

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.