Piper Sandler Boosts Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target to $166.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price objective increased by equities research analysts at Piper Sandler from $140.00 to $166.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Piper Sandler’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 2.03% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Brinker International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. UBS Group raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $144.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America upgraded Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $190.00 to $192.00 in a report on Monday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Brinker International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $184.61.

Brinker International Trading Up 3.9%

Shares of Brinker International stock traded up $6.06 on Thursday, reaching $162.70. The company had a trading volume of 487,481 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,156,921. The firm has a market cap of $7.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $150.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.13. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 164.66% and a net margin of 7.94%.Brinker International’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted 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 valued at $691,680,000 after acquiring an additional 73,346 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 103.7% during the fourth quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,128 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $736,000 after purchasing an additional 2,611 shares in the last quarter. AGP Franklin LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at about $502,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in Brinker International by 45.1% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PFG Advisors raised its holdings in Brinker International by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 6,728 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $966,000 after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International News Roundup

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.

About Brinker International

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.