Citigroup Boosts Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target to $190.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price lifted by analysts at Citigroup from $187.00 to $190.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup’s target price suggests a potential upside of 17.52% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on EAT. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Brinker International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised Brinker International from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Brinker International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Brinker International from $177.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $188.72.

Brinker International Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of NYSE:EAT traded up $5.03 during trading on Thursday, hitting $161.67. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 662,791 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,172,788. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $100.30 and a fifty-two week high of $192.21. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $150.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $144.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a PE ratio of 16.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.34.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a return on equity of 164.66% and a net margin of 7.94%.The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. Brinker International’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. As a group, research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Brinker International by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $691,680,000 after purchasing an additional 73,346 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 155.2% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $185,509,000 after buying an additional 890,593 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 27.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $176,542,000 after buying an additional 301,912 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 24.2% during the second quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,236,583 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $222,993,000 after buying an additional 240,870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,071,523 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $193,619,000 after acquiring an additional 14,033 shares during the period.

Brinker International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat: Brinker reported EPS of $2.87 vs. consensus ~$2.53 and revenue of $1.45B vs. ~$1.41B — the core beat on both metrics is the primary catalyst for the rally. Brinker International (EAT) Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 outlook: Management updated full‑year guidance, which exceeded prior Street expectations and supports earnings visibility for the year. See company release for details. PR Newswire: Brinker Reports Q2 Results and Updates FY2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s outperformance: Company highlighted +9% comp sales this quarter and multi‑year comp strength (2‑year comps ~+43%), with Chili’s driving growth — a structural win for Brinker’s portfolio. Brinker International Q2 Results Presentation
• Positive Sentiment: Positive market/press reaction and technical setup: Coverage from Barron’s/WSJ highlighted the beat and guidance lift; Zacks notes a bullish technical signal (50‑day crossing above 200‑day). These amplify investor interest. Brinker Stock Jumps on Earnings Beat Zacks: Technical Outlook Bright After Golden Cross
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call color and strategy: Management discussed unit-level performance, marketing and margin initiatives — useful for medium‑term modeling but not an incremental catalyst beyond the beat/guidance. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading context: Today’s move has occurred on below‑average volume, so monitor follow‑through for confirmation of a sustainable trend. (Background trading data referenced.)
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and liquidity considerations: Brinker shows high leverage and low short‑term liquidity metrics (low current/quick ratios, debt/equity ~1.5) — a reminder of financial risk if consumer trends weaken.

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.