New York, May 24, 2026, 11:01 EDT
National Vision Holdings closed Friday at $17.13, up 0.94% for the day, but still down 1.8% from a week earlier as the stock comes off a rocky earnings reset. Shares are still hovering not far above the 52-week low of $14.75 set May 13. Investors head into a holiday-shortened week looking to see if the stock can hold these levels.
No regular session for Nasdaq-listed shares on May 25. U.S. equity markets are shut for Memorial Day, so no Monday reset this time. Normal Nasdaq hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on trading days.
S&P 500 notched its eighth week in a row of gains on Friday as U.S. stocks climbed. The Russell 2000 was up 2.7% for the week. National Vision’s issue is more focused—whether improving margins and selling higher-priced products is enough to make up for weaker cash-pay traffic.
National Vision posted first-quarter revenue of $543.9 million, up 6.6%. Comparable store sales climbed 4.4%. Net income jumped to $31.2 million from $14.2 million a year ago. Adjusted operating income, which leaves out certain costs, came in at $55.5 million.
CEO Alex Wilkes said it was a “solid first quarter” and pointed to the company’s transformation for “higher-quality growth.” The company said managed care was stronger and average ticket was up, with expenses under control. Lower self-pay customer traffic pulled down comparable sales. National Vision, Inc.
National Vision stuck with its outlook for 2026: adjusted comparable-store sales growth of 3% to 6%, revenue between $2.033 billion and $2.091 billion, and adjusted diluted EPS of 85 cents to $1.09. The company said it added 20 military stores under an expanded Army and Air Force Exchange Service deal, making it the exclusive optical retail partner on AAFES bases in the U.S.
Investors barely reacted to the company’s guidance. According to Investing.com, there were 8 buys, 3 holds, and no sells, with the mean 12-month price target at $29.27. Even so, on May 14 firms like Morgan Stanley, UBS, Wells Fargo and Barclays all cut their targets.
Competitive signals are unclear. Warby Parker, which is listed, posted 8.3% revenue growth for the first quarter, kept its 2026 revenue growth outlook at 10% to 12%, and still plans 50 new stores this year. The company is also working on an intelligent-eyewear launch.
But the risks are clear. If self-pay demand keeps lagging, or if buyers stop spending on higher-end lenses and frames, National Vision could run out of ways to keep margins steady. Harder tariff or cost hits would do the same. National Vision’s own guidance cited tariffs, possible snags in its transformation, geopolitical problems and bigger macro threats.
Trading picks up this week after the Memorial Day break, with investors looking to see if EYE will stay above its May low as small caps keep pace. The company is not due to appear publicly during the holiday week; its next event is set for June 3 at the William Blair 46th Annual Growth Stock Conference.
Right now, price action doesn’t match guidance. Management insists its plan is on track. The stock shows buyers aren’t convinced yet.
