Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at Northcoast Research

Northcoast Research upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Northcoast Research currently has $275.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on EAT. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.38.

Brinker International Stock Down 1.9%

Brinker International stock opened at $206.77 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.45. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $218.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.98. The company has a market cap of $8.63 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $100.30 and a fifty-two week high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 13.18 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Aaron White sold 16,220 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total transaction of $3,831,488.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,099,822.32. This represents a 27.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP James Butler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,178,713.68. The trade was a 52.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 2,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $294,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 20,669 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,472,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 336 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC raised its position in Brinker International by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 14,289 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,051,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in Brinker International by 9.5% during the second quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,147 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining restaurants. Its portfolio includes Chili’s Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, fajitas, ribs, steaks, Tex-Mex dishes and a broad beverage menu, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and family-style dining.

Chili’s restaurants serve a wide range of lunch and dinner offerings in a casual, bar-and-grill setting, while Maggiano’s locations offer traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, chicken, seafood and desserts.