Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold”

Zacks Research lowered shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Monday, March 9th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $184.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial upgraded Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. DA Davidson initiated coverage on Brinker International in a report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $186.61.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $151.46 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $152.89 and its 200 day moving average is $142.06. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $187.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.34.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. Brinker International’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, EVP Aaron M. White sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,155,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,054,740. This trade represents a 14.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $1,679,391.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 8,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,298,304. This represents a 56.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $691,680,000 after acquiring an additional 73,346 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its position in Brinker International by 103.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $427,066,000 after purchasing an additional 1,511,266 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Brinker International by 27.7% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $176,542,000 after purchasing an additional 301,912 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Brinker International by 667.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,938,000 after purchasing an additional 993,435 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its stake in Brinker International by 96.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,306,000 after purchasing an additional 558,799 shares during the period.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.