National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Trading Down 8.7% – Time to Sell?

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) fell 8.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $20.06 and last traded at $20.1380. Approximately 640,671 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 1,769,737 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.06.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on EYE. Barclays dropped their price target on National Vision from $38.00 to $27.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on National Vision from $42.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of National Vision from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of National Vision from $30.00 to $20.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of National Vision from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $30.82.

National Vision Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.62 billion, a PE ratio of 35.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $19.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.62.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.02. National Vision had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 6.41%. The firm had revenue of $543.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $545.09 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.34 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Vision

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of National Vision during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $230,295,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of National Vision by 27.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,783,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,335,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251,499 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Vision during the 2nd quarter worth about $90,248,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of National Vision by 15.3% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,295,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,190,000 after buying an additional 437,655 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of National Vision by 1.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,062,191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,304,000 after buying an additional 32,595 shares during the period.

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.