Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Raised to $260.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price lifted by Morgan Stanley from $250.00 to $260.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

EAT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Northcoast Research lowered Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.30.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Brinker International stock opened at $213.44 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $254.99. The company has a market cap of $8.91 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50-day moving average is $214.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.74.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. The firm’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 13.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP James Butler sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total value of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at $2,178,713.68. This represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michaela Ware sold 3,030 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $707,444.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,494 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,499.12. The trade was a 14.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690 over the last 90 days. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 58.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 2,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $294,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC grew its position in Brinker International by 0.5% in the second 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 last quarter. Aviva PLC grew its position in Brinker International by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 4,123 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $592,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its stake in Brinker International by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 6,511 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $934,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter.

Key Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $260 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view supports the case that Brinker’s operating momentum and earnings growth remain attractive. Morgan Stanley analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Brinker’s latest quarter showed revenue growth of 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion, exceeding estimates, while EPS rose from $2.30 to $3.07. The company also provided fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $12.60–$13.40, supporting longer-term earnings optimism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brinker remains a closely watched stock, with investors focused on whether its recent post-earnings decline can reverse. The company’s valuation is elevated relative to its historical performance, making continued sales and margin execution important. Zacks trending stock analysis
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson cut its price target from $260 to $240 and retained a “neutral” rating. Although the new target remains above the recent share price, the reduction signals less confidence in near-term upside. DA Davidson price target update
• Negative Sentiment: The latest quarter narrowly missed consensus EPS estimates, with $3.07 reported versus $3.09 expected. Zacks noted that EAT is down about 10% since that report, highlighting investor concerns despite revenue growth and higher year-over-year earnings. Zacks post-earnings analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Director James Katzman sold 650 shares for approximately $143,059, reducing his direct holdings by 2.52%. The transaction is relatively small but may add modest pressure to sentiment. Brinker insider sale

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.