12,114,392 Shares in National Vision Holdings, Inc. $EYE Bought by BlackRock Inc.

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 12.1 million shares of National Vision Holdings, valued at approximately $230.3 million, giving it a 15.12% stake in the optical retailer.
• Several major investors also increased their positions, including Wellington Management, Arrowstreet Capital, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Geode Capital and Bank of America.
• National Vision shares opened at $17.87, down 4.3%, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $30.36. The company recently exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.25 in EPS on $498.8 million in revenue.

BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 12,114,392 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $230,295,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 15.12% of National Vision as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EYE. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in National Vision by 27.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,783,699 shares of the company's stock worth $149,335,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251,499 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of National Vision by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,295,290 shares of the company's stock valued at $96,190,000 after purchasing an additional 437,655 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of National Vision by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,062,191 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,304,000 after purchasing an additional 32,595 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of National Vision by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,990,329 shares of the company's stock worth $51,399,000 after purchasing an additional 55,824 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of National Vision by 127.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,965,856 shares of the company's stock worth $45,234,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103,213 shares during the period.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of National Vision from $30.00 to $20.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of National Vision from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of National Vision from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of National Vision from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of National Vision from $38.00 to $27.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, National Vision has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $30.36.

National Vision Stock Down 4.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:EYE opened at $17.87 on Friday. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.75 and a 52-week high of $30.02. The stock has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.02. The business's 50 day moving average is $19.83 and its 200 day moving average is $22.06. 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 (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.07. National Vision had a return on equity of 6.78% and a net margin of 2.47%.The business had revenue of $498.81 million during the quarter. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.18 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.65 EPS for the current year.

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.

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