Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average Following Analyst Downgrade

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $187.00 to $190.00. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $142.11 and traded as high as $150.68. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Brinker International shares last traded at $146.9190, with a volume of 962,475 shares trading hands.

EAT has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $186.61.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.40, for a total transaction of $812,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,923 shares in the company, valued at $3,235,495.20. This trade represents a 20.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 66,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $10,580,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 129,824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,812,085.44. The trade was a 33.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Brinker International by 103.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $427,066,000 after buying an additional 1,511,266 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,938,000 after acquiring an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $83,603,000. Congress Asset Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $80,518,000. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,306,000 after acquiring an additional 558,799 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Price Performance

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 capitalization of $6.40 billion, a PE ratio of 14.86, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $152.51 and a 200 day moving average of $142.10.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a return on equity of 134.92% and a net margin of 7.98%.The company had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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 predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

About Brinker International

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.