William Blair Investment Management LLC Acquires New Stake in National Vision Holdings, Inc. $EYE

William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 4,747,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $90,248,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of National Vision as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in EYE. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new position in National Vision in the 4th quarter worth about $2,711,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in National Vision by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,175,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,442,000 after purchasing an additional 74,607 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in National Vision during the 2nd quarter valued at about $14,481,000. Pier Capital LLC increased its stake in National Vision by 111.1% during the 4th quarter. Pier Capital LLC now owns 313,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,096,000 after purchasing an additional 165,049 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in National Vision by 33.9% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 152,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,935,000 after buying an additional 38,585 shares during the last quarter.

National Vision Price Performance

EYE opened at $17.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $19.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $22.36. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.75 and a 52-week high of $30.02.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.07. National Vision had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 6.78%. The firm had revenue of $498.81 million for the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.18 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of National Vision from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of National Vision from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Barclays lowered their price objective on National Vision from $38.00 to $27.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of National Vision in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of National Vision in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $30.36.

National Vision 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.