National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) Shares Bought by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Free Report) by 40.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 56,401 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,337 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.07% of National Vision worth $587,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Engine Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of National Vision by 127.5% during the fourth quarter. Engine Capital Management LP now owns 2,528,053 shares of the company's stock worth $26,342,000 after purchasing an additional 1,417,002 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in shares of National Vision by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 528,287 shares of the company's stock worth $5,505,000 after purchasing an additional 22,886 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of National Vision by 46.0% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 425,788 shares of the company's stock worth $4,437,000 after purchasing an additional 134,179 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in National Vision by 26.5% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 847,118 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,827,000 after acquiring an additional 177,451 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its holdings in National Vision by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 22,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 1,298 shares in the last quarter.

National Vision Stock Up 0.8%

EYE stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $19.01. 1,908,196 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,813,846. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.57. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.56 and a 1-year high of $19.49. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $14.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.40. The company has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -95.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.02.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. National Vision had a negative net margin of 0.81% and a positive return on equity of 3.52%. The company had revenue of $510.32 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $510.30 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of National Vision from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of National Vision from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of National Vision from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Loop Capital raised their target price on shares of National Vision from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of National Vision from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National Vision has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.75.

Insider Transactions at National Vision

In other news, SVP Ravi Acharya sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.75, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,375. This trade represents a 50.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

National Vision Profile

National Vision Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an optical retailer in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Owned & Host and Legacy. It offers eyeglasses and contact lenses, and optical accessory products; provides eye exams through its America's Best, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical, Fred Meyer, and Vista Optical military, as well as Vision Center branded stores; and offers health maintenance organization and optometric services.