Short Interest in National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) Increases By 20.4%

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 20.4% in March, rising to 10,959,856 shares (about 14.2% of the float) and a short-interest ratio of 7.9 days based on average daily volume.
• Chairman L. Reade Fahs sold 4,071 shares on March 6 at $29.57, trimming his stake by 1.12%; corporate insiders collectively own roughly 2.7% of the company.
• National Vision beat quarterly expectations with $0.15 EPS (vs. $0.06 expected) and $503.4M revenue, provided FY2026 EPS guidance of 0.85–1.09, and holds a consensus analyst view of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $31.21.

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 10,959,856 shares, an increase of 20.4% from the March 15th total of 9,106,435 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,390,342 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 7.9 days. Approximately 14.2% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman L Reade Fahs sold 4,071 shares of National Vision stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.57, for a total value of $120,379.47. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 359,359 shares in the company, valued at $10,626,245.63. This trade represents a 1.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of National Vision

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EYE. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in National Vision in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of National Vision during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 1,031 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of National Vision in the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in shares of National Vision by 317.4% during the third 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.

National Vision Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EYE traded up $0.81 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $25.68. 1,590,403 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,388,920. National Vision has a fifty-two week low of $10.75 and a fifty-two week high of $30.02. The firm has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of 69.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.09. National Vision had a return on equity of 5.15% and a net margin of 1.49%.The firm had revenue of $503.41 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $495.26 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.04) earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. National Vision has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.850-1.090 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that National Vision will post 0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on National Vision from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on National Vision from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded National Vision from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group increased their price target on National Vision from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of National Vision from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $31.21.

National Vision Company 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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