William Blair Investment Management LLC Takes $90.25 Million Position in National Vision Holdings, Inc. $EYE

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management acquired 4.75 million National Vision shares worth approximately $90.25 million, representing a 5.93% stake.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with seven Buy ratings and four Holds; the stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $30.36.
• National Vision’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, reporting $0.25 in EPS versus $0.18 expected and $498.81 million in revenue, up 2.6% year over year.

William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 4,747,422 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $90,248,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned approximately 5.93% of National Vision as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in National Vision during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in National Vision by 96.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,789 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of National Vision by 176.8% in 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. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of National Vision in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, 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 valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,257 shares in the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of National Vision in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of National Vision from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. UBS Group cut their price objective on National Vision from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of National Vision in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on National Vision from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $30.36.

National Vision Stock Performance

Shares of EYE stock opened at $17.88 on Friday. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $14.75 and a 12 month high of $30.02. The stock has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a PE ratio of 29.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company's fifty day moving average price is $19.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $22.36.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 prior year, the company earned $0.18 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About National Vision

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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