National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,730,000 shares, an increase of 23.0% from the February 28th total of 5,470,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,500,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.5 days. Approximately 8.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EYE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of National Vision from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on National Vision from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Barclays raised their target price on National Vision from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on National Vision from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.00.

National Vision Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EYE traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $12.81. The company had a trading volume of 181,667 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,573,659. National Vision has a 12 month low of $9.56 and a 12 month high of $22.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of -64.01, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.51. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.31.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EYE. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of National Vision by 226.3% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 33,681 shares of the company’s stock valued at $367,000 after buying an additional 23,359 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in National Vision by 17.3% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,412,292 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,408,000 after purchasing an additional 208,684 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in National Vision by 11.5% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 291,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,181,000 after purchasing an additional 30,012 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in National Vision during the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co bought a new stake in shares of National Vision in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $184,000.

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.