National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) Reaches New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $27.98 and last traded at $27.33, with a volume of 1720862 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $26.60.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on EYE shares. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of National Vision from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of National Vision in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $27.00 price target on shares of National Vision and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of National Vision from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Roth Capital began coverage on shares of National Vision in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $36.00 price target on the stock. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $24.73.

National Vision Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of -151.83, a PEG ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company's 50-day moving average price is $24.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.52.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.06. National Vision had a negative net margin of 0.75% and a positive return on equity of 3.56%. The business had revenue of $486.42 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $469.21 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.15 EPS. National Vision's revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other National Vision news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 137,400 shares of National Vision stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.33, for a total value of $3,342,942.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 544,795 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,254,862.35. The trade was a 20.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Vision

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in National Vision by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,568,579 shares of the company's stock worth $135,066,000 after purchasing an additional 156,741 shares during the period. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. grew its position in National Vision by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 4,996,104 shares of the company's stock worth $63,850,000 after purchasing an additional 320,565 shares during the period. Engine Capital Management LP grew its position in National Vision by 53.3% in the 1st quarter. Engine Capital Management LP now owns 3,875,701 shares of the company's stock worth $49,531,000 after purchasing an additional 1,347,648 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in National Vision in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $81,908,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in National Vision by 2,030.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,495,751 shares of the company's stock valued at $80,437,000 after buying an additional 3,331,657 shares during the period.

National Vision Company 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.

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