National Vision Holdings, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

2025 Results Mark a Year of Strong Momentum Fueled by Strategic Transformation, Cost Discipline

Expansion Into Targeted Customer Cohorts Drove Enhanced Profitability, Positioning Company for Sustained Growth

Provides 2026 Guidance

Fourth quarter 2025 highlights compared to fourth quarter 2024*:

• Net revenue from continuing operations of $503.4 million, increased 15.1%
• Comparable store sales growth of 6.6% and Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth of 4.8%, represented 12 consecutive quarters of positive growth
• Net income from continuing operations of $3.3 million, Diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.04, with Income (loss) from continuing operations margin improving to 0.7% from (6.7)%
• Adjusted Operating Income from continuing operations increased to $17.6 million from $3.2 million, with Adjusted Operating Margin improving to 3.5% from 0.7%
• Adjusted Diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.15 compared with $(0.04)

Fiscal 2025 highlights compared to fiscal year 2024*:

• Net revenue from continuing operations of $1,987.5 million, an increase of 9.0%
• Comparable store sales growth of 5.9% and Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth of 6.0%
• Net income from continuing operations of $29.6 million and Diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.37, with Income (loss) from continuing operations margin improving to 1.5% from (1.5)%
• Adjusted Operating Income from continuing operations of $102.5 million compared with $65.5 million in fiscal year 2024, with Adjusted Operating Margin improving to 5.2% from 3.6%
• Adjusted Diluted EPS from continuing operations increased to $0.80 compared with $0.52 in fiscal year 2024

DULUTH, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) (“National Vision” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 3, 2026, and is providing its outlook for fiscal 2026.

Alex Wilkes, National Vision’s CEO, said, “2025 was a remarkable year for National Vision – one in which we embarked on a bold reinvention of our company and executed our plan with discipline and precision, achieving results that surpassed our own expectations. Our strong fourth‑quarter performance reflects the meaningful progress we are making across the business. Importantly, this year we saw strong traffic gains from our most profitable target customers, including those who use managed vision care insurance, progressive lens wearers and those who bring in outside prescriptions. We are elevating our product assortment, enhancing the patient and customer experience, modernizing marketing, and expanding with a higher value customer, while remaining committed to our position as a value leader. Operating margin expansion has been a clear priority for this team, and we’re delivering on that commitment. This progress reflects our intentional management of our customer mix, a disciplined approach on cost management, along with the thoughtful investments we’ve made to strengthen the long‑term health of the business.”

Mr. Wilkes continued, “As we head into the new year, I’m incredibly confident in our trajectory, which reflects the aspirations we shared at our investor day. We have the right ambition, the right strategy, and the right team to continue generating sustained value for our shareholders.”

*Note: National Vision’s results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended January 3, 2026 (“fiscal 2025”), contain an additional, non-comparable week, or the “53rd week”, when compared to the fourth quarter and full year results for the respective 13- and 52- week periods ended December 28, 2024. The 53rd week added $35.6 million to net revenue, approximately $0.03 to diluted EPS, $2.4 million to Net Income, and $3.5 million to Adjusted Operating Income for the quarter and the year. The 53rd week is not included in comparable store sales growth or Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth for the quarter or the year.

This release includes certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures that are not recognized under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP Financial Measures” below for more information.

Results for all periods presented are reported on a continuing operations basis and reflect the results of our former Legacy segment and the substantial majority of AC Lens operations as discontinued operations. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are to the prior year period.

Fourth Quarter 2025 Summary compared to Fourth Quarter 2024

• Net revenue increased 15.1% to $503.4 million, driven by the 53rd week, Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth, new store sales and partially offset by closed stores and a negative (0.8)% impact from the timing of unearned revenue.
• Comparable store sales growth was 6.6% and Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth was 4.8%, both reflecting a higher average ticket and continued strength in the managed care cohort, partially offset by self-pay customer traffic.
• The Company opened 12 new stores and closed four America’s Best stores ending the quarter with 1,250 stores. Overall, store count grew 0.8%.
• Costs applicable to revenue increased 13.9% to $210.7 million. As a percentage of net revenue, costs applicable to revenue decreased 40 basis points to 41.9%, primarily due to the successful execution of pricing and product mix initiatives, partially offset by a slight increase in optometrist-related costs.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) increased 12.1% to $261.2 million. As a percentage of net revenue, SG&A decreased 140 basis points to 51.9%, primarily driven by operating leverage on lower payroll and expenses and fees, and advertising, partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expenses related to revenue and profitability growth and higher health care expenses. Adjusted SG&A increased 11.2% to $251.9 million, a decrease of 180 basis points.
• Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax, increased to $3.3 million compared to $(29.4) million in the prior-year period. Income (loss) from continuing operations margin improved to 0.7% from (6.7)%.
• Diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations increased to $0.04, compared to $(0.37). Adjusted Diluted EPS increased to $0.15 from $(0.04). The net change in margin on unearned revenue negatively impacted both Diluted EPS and Adjusted Diluted EPS by $(0.02).
• Adjusted Operating Income increased 444.8% to $17.6 million. Adjusted Operating Margin improved to 3.5% from 0.7%. The net change in margin on unearned revenue negatively impacted income (loss) from continuing operations, by $(1.6) million and Adjusted Operating Income by $(2.1) million.

Fiscal 2025 Summary compared to Fiscal 2024

• Net revenue increased 9.0% to $1,987.5 million driven by Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth, growth from new store sales, and the 53rd week, partially offset by the effect of closed stores and includes a negative (0.6)% impact from the timing of unearned revenue.
• Comparable store sales growth was 5.9% and Adjusted Comparable Store Sales Growth was 6.0%, primarily due to higher average ticket and continued strength in the managed care cohort, partially offset by a slight decrease in self-pay customer traffic.
• The Company opened 33 new stores, closed 12 America’s Best stores and closed 11 Fred Meyer stores, ending the period with 1,250 stores. Overall, store count grew 0.8%.
• Costs applicable to revenue increased 7.3% to $819.5 million. As a percentage of net revenue, costs applicable to revenue decreased 70 basis points to 41.2%, primarily due to successful execution of pricing and product mix initiatives, partially offset by a decrease in contact lens product margin.
• SG&A increased 8.3% to $1,016.3 million. As a percentage of net revenue, SG&A decreased 40 basis points to 51.1% driven by operating leverage on lower expenses and fees, partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expenses related to revenue and profitability growth and higher health care expenses. Adjusted SG&A increased 7.9% to $975.3 million and decreased 50 basis points to 49.1% of net revenue.
• Income (loss) from continuing operations increased to $29.6 million compared to $(27.2) million in the prior year period. Income (loss) from continuing operations margin increased to 1.5% compared to (1.5)%.
• Diluted EPS from continuing operations increased to $0.37 compared to $(0.35). Adjusted Diluted EPS increased to $0.80 compared to $0.52. The net change in margin on unearned revenue negatively impacted both Diluted EPS and Adjusted Diluted EPS by $(0.08).
• Adjusted Operating Income increased 56.5% to $102.5 million. Adjusted Operating Margin increased to 5.2% compared with 3.6%. The net change in margin on unearned revenue negatively impacted income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax, by $(6.5) million and Adjusted Operating Income by $(8.7) million.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

• National Vision’s cash balance was $38.7 million as of January 3, 2026. The Company had no borrowings under its $300.0 million first lien revolving credit facility (“Revolving Loans”), exclusive of letters of credit of $6.7 million.
• Total debt was $245.9 million as of January 3, 2026, consisting of outstanding first lien term loans and finance lease obligations, net of unamortized discounts.
• National Vision entered into an interest rate swap during the fourth quarter of 2025 to help offset the variability of cash flows in term loan interest payments attributable to changes in Term SOFR. The notional amount of the hedge is $100.0 million.

Share Repurchase Program

On January 3, 2026, the Company’s previous share repurchase authorization expired with remaining capacity of $50 million. Effective March 2, 2026, the Company’s board of directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $50 million aggregate amount of shares of the Company’s common stock until December 28, 2030. Repurchases of shares of common stock may be made through various methods, including, but not limited to, open market, privately negotiated, or accelerated share repurchase transactions. The timing, manner, price, and actual amount of share repurchases will be determined by management based on various factors, including, but not limited to, stock price, economic and market conditions, other capital management needs and opportunities, and corporate and regulatory considerations. The Company has no obligation to repurchase any amount of its common stock, and such repurchases, if any, may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Fiscal 2026 Outlook

The Company is providing the following outlook for the 52 weeks ending January 2, 2027.

The fiscal 2026 outlook information provided in this release includes Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS guidance. The Company is not able to reconcile these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to GAAP without unreasonable efforts because it is not possible to predict with a reasonable degree of certainty the actual impact of certain items and unanticipated events, including taxes and non-recurring items, which would be included in GAAP results.

The fiscal 2026 outlook is forward-looking, subject to significant business, economic, regulatory and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and its management, and based upon assumptions with respect to future decisions, which are subject to change. These uncertainties include, but are not limited to, dynamic market conditions, unexpected disruptions including additional regulatory actions impacting international trade such as tariffs, and other macroeconomic risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary and those variations may be material. As such, the Company’s results may not fall within the ranges contained in its fiscal 2026 outlook. The Company uses these forward-looking measures internally to assess and benchmark its results and strategic plans. See “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

Conference Call Details

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the fourth quarter 2025 financial results and fiscal-year 2026 guidance today, March 4, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To pre-register for the conference call and obtain a dial-in number and passcode please refer to the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at www.ir.nationalvision.com. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at www.ir.nationalvision.com, where presentation materials will be posted prior to the conference call. A replay of the audio webcast will also be archived on the “Investors” section of the Company’s website.

About National Vision Holdings, Inc.

National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) is one of the largest optical retail companies in the United States with over 1,200 stores in 38 states and Puerto Rico. With a mission of helping people by making quality eye care and eyewear more affordable and accessible, the company operates four retail brands: America’s Best, Eyeglass World, and Vista Opticals inside select Fred Meyer stores and on select military bases, and an e-commerce website DiscountContacts.com, offering a variety of products and services for customers’ eye care needs. For more information, please visit www.nationalvision.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements contained under “Fiscal 2026 Outlook” as well as other statements related to our current beliefs and expectations regarding the performance of our industry, the Company’s strategic direction, market position, prospects including remote medicine and optometrist recruiting and retention initiatives, and future results. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook,” “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “projects,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or variations of these words or other comparable words. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement as such statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied in forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, market volatility, an overall decline in the health of the economy, global macroeconomic conditions and other factors may affect consumer spending or behavior, which could materially harm our sales, profitability and financial condition; we may not be successful in implementing our strategic initiatives, or in anticipating the impact of important strategic initiatives, and our plans for implementing such initiatives may be altered or delayed due to various factors, which may have an adverse impact on our business and financial results; the optical retail industry is highly competitive, and if we do not compete successfully, our business may be materially adversely impacted; our success depends substantially on the value of our owned brands, and failure to maintain, protect, and enhance their value could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations; our success depends upon our marketing, advertising and promotional efforts and if we are unable to implement them successfully or efficiently, or if our competitors are more effective than we are, we may experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations; if we fail to open and operate new stores (including as a result of store conversions) in a timely and cost-effective manner or fail to successfully enter new markets, our financial performance could be materially adversely affected; our growth is dependent on our ability to increase sales in existing stores and to successfully reinvest in existing stores; if we are unable to successfully implement our pricing strategies, it could have a material adverse impact on our business; failure to recruit and retain vision care professionals for in-store roles or to provide remote care offerings could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations; we are a value-based provider and our business model relies on the low cost of inputs, and factors such as wage rate increases, inflation, cost increases, increases in the price of raw materials and energy prices could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations; we require significant capital to fund our expanding business including updating our Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) and Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”), and other technological, systems and capabilities; our growth strategies could strain our existing resources and cause the performance of our existing stores to suffer; we are subject to risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space, including future increases in occupancy costs; our e-commerce and omni-channel business faces distinct risks, and our failure to successfully manage those risks could have a negative impact on our profitability; if we fail to retain our existing senior management team, attract qualified new personnel or successfully implement our succession plans, such failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations; our operating results and inventory levels fluctuate on a seasonal basis; catastrophic events, including changing climate and weather patterns leading to severe weather and natural disasters may cause significant business interruptions and expenditures; certain technological advances, greater availability of, or increased consumer preferences for, vision correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, or future drug development for the correction of vision-related problems may reduce the demand for our products and materially adversely impact our business and profitability; our profitability and cash flows may be materially adversely affected if we are not successful in managing our inventory balances and inventory shrinkage; we depend on our distribution centers and optical laboratories and the loss of, or disruption in the operations of, one or more of these facilities may adversely affect our ability to process and fulfill customer orders and deliver our products in a timely manner, or at all, and may result in quality issues, which would materially adversely affect our reputation, our business and our profitability; if the performance of our Host brands declines or we are unable to maintain or extend our operating relationships with our Host partners, our business, profitability and cash flows may be adversely affected and we may be required to incur impairment charges; sustainability issues, including those related to climate change, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations; our future operational success depends on our ability to develop, maintain and extend relationships with managed vision care companies, vision insurance providers and other third-party payors; we rely on third-party coverage and reimbursement, including government programs, for an increasing portion of our revenues, the future reduction of which could materially adversely affect our results of operations; we face risks associated with vendors from whom our products and certain services are sourced and are dependent on a limited number of suppliers; our ability to source merchandise and services outside of the U.S. could be adversely impacted by changes in U.S. or international laws, including the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. and the resulting consequences; we rely heavily on our information technology systems, as well as those of our vendors, for our business to effectively operate and to safeguard confidential information and any significant failure, inadequacy, interruption or security breach could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operations; we are subject to extensive state, local and federal vision care and healthcare laws and regulations and failure to adhere to such laws and regulations would materially adversely affect our business; we are subject to managed vision care laws and regulations and the failure to comply with such laws and regulations could have a materially negative impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations; we are subject to rapidly changing and increasingly stringent laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and industry standards relating to privacy, data security and data protection, which could subject us to liabilities that materially adversely affect our business, operations and financial performance; we could be materially adversely affected by product liability, product recall or personal injury issues; failure to comply with laws, regulations and enforcement activities or changes in statutory, regulatory, accounting and other legal requirements could materially negatively impact our business, financial condition or results of operations; adverse judgments or settlements resulting from legal proceedings relating to our business operations could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations; we may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could harm the value of our brand and materially adversely affect our business; we have a significant amount of indebtedness which could adversely affect our business and financial position, including by limiting our business flexibility and preventing us from meeting our debt obligations; a change in interest rates may adversely affect our business; our credit agreement contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business; and risks related to owning our common stock, including our ability to comply with requirements to design and implement and maintain effective internal controls.

Contacts

Investor Contact:
[email protected]

National Vision Holdings, Inc.

Tamara Gonzalez

ICR, Inc.

Caitlin Churchill

Media Contact:
[email protected]

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