Clearbridge Investments LLC Boosts Stake in National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE)

Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its position in National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) by 0.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,329,234 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,213 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 5.53% of National Vision worth $90,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of National Vision by 252.9% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in National Vision in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $131,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of National Vision in the third quarter worth $206,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of National Vision during the fourth quarter worth $255,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its stake in shares of National Vision by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 15,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $327,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EYE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays decreased 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. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of National Vision from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.60.

National Vision Price Performance

Shares of EYE opened at $15.80 on Wednesday. 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 Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $13.71 and a 1 year high of $27.02. The company’s fifty day moving average is $19.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.79.

National Vision (NASDAQ:EYE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by $0.07. National Vision had a positive return on equity of 3.47% and a negative net margin of 3.44%. The company had revenue of $506.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $499.49 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.11) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that National Vision Holdings, Inc. will post 0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at National Vision

In other news, Director D Randolph Peeler bought 34,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.45 per share, with a total value of $491,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 182,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,642,616. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other National Vision news, Director D Randolph Peeler acquired 34,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $14.45 per share, with a total value of $491,300.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 182,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,642,616. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO L Reade Fahs bought 20,000 shares of National Vision stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owns 633,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,471,131.12. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

National Vision 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.