National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Shares Down 7.2% – Should You Sell?

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. National Bank Financial set a $32.00 price objective on National Vision in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Citigroup upped their target price on National Vision from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of National Vision from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of National Vision from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of National Vision from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.21.

National Vision Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.05. The firm has a market cap of $1.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.38.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $503.41 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $495.26 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.04) earnings per share. National Vision’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, sell-side 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 that occurred 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 transaction, the chairman owned 694,880 shares in the company, valued at $20,554,550.40. This trade represents a 1.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Vision

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EYE. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in National Vision by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 15,145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $391,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in National Vision by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in National Vision by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 15,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $402,000 after buying an additional 507 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of National Vision by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 68,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,583,000 after acquiring an additional 637 shares during the period. Finally, Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in National Vision by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 23,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares during 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.