Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Stephens

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Stephens to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $189.28 on Thursday. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $192.20. The business has a 50-day moving average of $156.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $152.85. The company has a market capitalization of $8.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.05. Brinker International had a return on equity of 123.22% and a net margin of 8.07%.The company had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. Brinker International’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Brinker International will post 10.75 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 570.4% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Brinker International by 58.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 45.1% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 33,000.0% during the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the last quarter.

Key Headlines Impacting Brinker International

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stephens initiated coverage on Brinker International with an overweight rating and a $220 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also raised its price target on Brinker International to $220 from $200 and kept an overweight rating, reinforcing the bullish analyst outlook. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its price target to $204, adding to the cluster of positive analyst revisions for EAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as an incredible growth stock and said the company could beat earnings estimates again, which supports investor confidence ahead of the next report. Zacks growth-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article noted Brinker’s strong earnings surprise history and favorable setup for another quarterly beat, which can be a catalyst for the shares. Zacks earnings beat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from market commentary on Brinker versus other consumer cyclical names helped keep the stock in focus, but it did not appear to materially change the investment thesis. The Globe and Mail analyst coverage article

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.