Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $975.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $980.64 million. Bloomin’ Brands had a negative net margin of 1.46% and a positive return on equity of 33.92%. Bloomin’ Brands’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.38 EPS. Bloomin’ Brands updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.570-0.620 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 0.750-0.900 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Bloomin’ Brands’ conference call:

• Q4 comps were flat while U.S. traffic grew +50 bps and Outback traffic rose +90 bps (its first positive traffic quarter since Q4 2021), with the company narrowing the gap vs. the casual-dining industry quarter-over-quarter.
• Management highlighted early success from a November 2025 steak lineup (strong guest satisfaction and reorder intent) plus a planned Q2 service-model change (peak server station reduced to 4 tables) and formal Steak Excellence certification to drive consistency and repeat visits.
• For fiscal 2026 the company plans ~$50M of turnaround investments (offset by ~$30M of non-guest-facing productivity for a net ~$20M), guides U.S. comps of +0.5%–+2.5%, adjusted EPS $0.75–$0.90, expects commodity inflation of 4.5%–5.5% and CapEx of $185M–$195M, and notes a Q1 weather headwind (~2.2% sales, ~$0.08 EPS) included in guidance.
• Q4 adjusted EPS was $0.26 (within guidance) while GAAP showed a $0.14 loss driven by ~$46M of adjustments (impairments and closures); the company materially reduced leverage in 2025 with total debt down to ~$787M and net debt of ~$728M.

Bloomin’ Brands Stock Performance

Bloomin’ Brands stock opened at $6.01 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.77. Bloomin’ Brands has a twelve month low of $5.60 and a twelve month high of $10.70. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $6.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.94. The company has a market cap of $512.00 million, a PE ratio of -8.94 and a beta of 1.15.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BLMN shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Bloomin’ Brands from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $7.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Loop Capital set a $10.00 price objective on Bloomin’ Brands in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Bloomin’ Brands in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Bloomin’ Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $8.64.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bloomin’ Brands

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BLMN. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bloomin’ Brands during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $195,000. Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its position in Bloomin’ Brands by 146.0% in the 2nd quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 21,426 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $184,000 after buying an additional 12,717 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Bloomin’ Brands during the first quarter worth approximately $170,000. First Trust Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Bloomin’ Brands during the third quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Finally, Amundi bought a new position in Bloomin’ Brands in the second quarter worth approximately $116,000.

Key Headlines Impacting Bloomin’ Brands

Here are the key news stories impacting Bloomin’ Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Outback traffic recovery — Management said Outback reported its first quarter of positive guest traffic in four years, evidence the turnaround plan is gaining traction; this is supporting investor optimism about a sustainable recovery. Bloomin’s Turnaround Lifts Outback Traffic as Beef Inflation Persists
• Positive Sentiment: EPS slightly beat — Q4 EPS of $0.26 topped the consensus of $0.25, showing incremental progress versus expectations even though earnings are down from $0.38 a year ago. BLMN Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 guidance above Street — Management set Q1 FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.57–$0.62, above consensus, which investors interpret as near‑term operational improvement. Q4 Financial Results (press release)
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly flat / slight miss — Q4 revenue of $975.2M was up 0.3% year‑over‑year but slightly below the ~$980.6M consensus; growth is muted, so upside will depend on margin recovery. MarketBeat Q4 Summary
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 guidance around estimates but slightly lower than consensus midpoint — Company gave FY EPS guidance of $0.75–$0.90 (consensus ~0.83), leaving limited room for upside and signaling conservative expectations. FY2026 Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity pressure — Management warned beef inflation persists, which can compress margins if price increases cannot be fully passed to guests. WSJ: Bloomin’ Brands Posts Narrower Loss
• Negative Sentiment: Negative/critical analyst coverage — At least one analyst piece argues the turnaround is “not good enough,” which can pressure sentiment among short‑term holders. Seeking Alpha: Just Not Good Enough

Bloomin’ Brands Company Profile

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc engages in the ownership, operation and franchising of casual dining restaurants worldwide. The company’s portfolio includes five full-service restaurant chains: Outback Steakhouse, known for its Australian-inspired steakhouse concept; Carrabba’s Italian Grill, offering Italian-American cuisine; Bonefish Grill, specializing in handcrafted seafood dishes; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, focusing on premium steak and wine experiences; and Aussie Grill by Outback, featuring a streamlined menu of signature items.