William Blair Investment Management LLC Sells 329,578 Shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. $EYE

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management reduced its stake in National Vision by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 329,578 shares and ending with 4.51 million shares valued at about $116.5 million.
• National Vision reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $0.45 per share on revenue of $543.88 million, with sales up 6.6% year over year. The company also issued FY2026 EPS guidance of 0.850 to 1.090.
• Despite the earnings beat, analysts have trimmed price targets on EYE, though the stock still carries an average “Moderate Buy” rating with a target price of $30.08. Shares recently traded at $17.13, below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

William Blair Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Free Report) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,510,895 shares of the company's stock after selling 329,578 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned about 5.69% of National Vision worth $116,471,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EYE. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 176.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,614 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,031 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 317.4% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,653 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,257 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 333.3% during the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,900 shares of the company's stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of National Vision during the 3rd quarter worth about $93,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,431 shares of the company's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period.

National Vision Price Performance

Shares of EYE opened at $17.13 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $23.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.98. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.75 and a fifty-two week high of $30.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 30.05, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.18. 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 - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share 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 quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.34 EPS. The company's revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. National Vision has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-1.090 EPS. Equities analysts predict that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on EYE. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of National Vision from $30.00 to $22.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of National Vision from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of National Vision from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of National Vision from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of National Vision from $38.00 to $27.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, National Vision presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $30.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at National Vision

In related news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 4,071 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.57, for a total transaction of $120,379.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 359,359 shares in the company, valued at $10,626,245.63. The trade was a 1.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

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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