Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 54,422 Shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE)

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 8,882,529 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 54,422 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of National Vision worth $185,911,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in National Vision by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 15,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in National Vision by 252.9% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in National Vision by 27.1% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 19,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 4,153 shares during the last quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 165,300.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 4,959 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in National Vision during the 4th quarter worth approximately $131,000.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO L Reade Fahs bought 20,000 shares of National Vision stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.96 per share, for a total transaction of $299,200.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 633,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,471,131.12. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other National Vision news, Director D Randolph Peeler bought 34,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.45 per share, for a total transaction of $491,300.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 182,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,642,616. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO L Reade Fahs purchased 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $14.96 per share, for a total transaction of $299,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 633,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,471,131.12. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of National Vision from $19.00 to $16.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.60.

National Vision Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of National Vision stock opened at $12.48 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.98 and its 200 day moving average is $18.72. National Vision Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $12.24 and a one year high of $25.16. The firm has a market cap of $980.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13.57, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.69.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.05. National Vision had a negative net margin of 3.44% and a positive return on equity of 3.47%. The company had revenue of $542.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $557.47 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.34 EPS for the current year.

About National Vision

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.