National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.13 EPS

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.13, FiscalAI reports. National Vision had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 6.78%. The business had revenue of $510.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $512.53 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. National Vision updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.950-1.030 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from National Vision’s conference call:

• Third-quarter profitability improved sharply: adjusted operating margin expanded 320 basis points to 7.3%, and adjusted EPS more than doubled to $0.30. Excluding a one-time $4.7 million tariff-refund benefit, margin expansion was 230 basis points.
• Revenue rose 4.8% to $511 million and comparable sales increased 2.8%, but traffic fell 5.6%. Management said the decline was concentrated in lower-value transactions, which it attributes to longer purchase cycles among cash-pay customers amid consumer pressure.
• Average ticket grew 8.9%, primarily from improved customer mix and product attachment rather than like-for-like pricing; managed-care sales grew at a high-single-digit rate, with positive traffic. Management said higher-value transactions are supporting profitability, though weakness among lower-value customers is weighing on overall traffic.
• For 2026, National Vision forecast revenue of $2.02–$2.04 billion and comparable-sales growth of about 2%–3%, while maintaining adjusted EPS guidance of $0.95–$1.03. The outlook reflects continued traffic pressure and a more cautious Q4, alongside planned marketing and technology investment.
• The company plans to accelerate store openings to approximately 50–55 in 2027, a year earlier than previously planned, citing stronger unit economics and progress on its commercial transformation. The board also authorized a new $100 million share-repurchase program.

National Vision Stock Up 2.7%

NASDAQ EYE opened at $18.57 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. National Vision has a fifty-two week low of $14.75 and a fifty-two week high of $30.02. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.97. The stock has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 25.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.96.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on EYE shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on National Vision from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of National Vision from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of National Vision in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded National Vision from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on National Vision from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $29.82.

Key National Vision News

Investors following EYE have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: The board authorized a $100 million share-buyback program, allowing repurchases of up to 7% of the company’s shares. Buybacks can support per-share results and signal management sees value in the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: National Vision plans to expand its store base, including approximately 30 new stores over the 52 weeks ending January 2, 2027, and 50–55 openings in 2027. Article: National Vision plans store openings and forecasts revenue
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s 2026 revenue outlook of $2.02 billion–$2.04 billion is below the roughly $2.1 billion analyst expectation, and it lowered its comparable-sales growth outlook. That softer outlook could temper optimism from the earnings beat. Article: National Vision reports higher earnings but lowers comparable-sales outlook

National Vision announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $100 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 7% of its shares through open market purchases. Share repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

National Vision Company Profile

National Vision Holdings, Inc. is a U.S. optical retailer that provides eye care services and sells eyewear. Its offerings include eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, sunglasses and related accessories. The company operates stores under brands including America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses and Eyeglass World. It also operates Vista Optical locations, including stores in select host locations. Founded in 1990, National Vision serves customers across the United States through its retail locations and online channels.