James Katzman Sells 447 Shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Director James Katzman sold 447 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.19, for a total transaction of $73,392.93. Following the sale, the director directly owned 28,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,760,524.86. This represents a 1.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT opened at $161.24 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.35. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $155.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $144.45. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $187.12.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. The firm 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 134.92% and a net margin of 7.98%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near? and long?term EPS forecasts (FY2026–FY2028) and issued a “Strong?Buy” on EAT — a clear bullish catalyst that can lift sentiment and valuation expectations. MarketBeat EAT
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms have bumped price targets and ratings recently (Mizuho, Raymond James, TD Cowen, UBS), signaling confidence in Brinker’s growth and supporting buy-side interest. MarketBeat EAT
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal demand: a Zacks roundup includes EAT as a Valentine’s Day beneficiary alongside confectionery and travel stocks — higher dining and gifting spending (est. record holiday) could boost near?term traffic and comps. When Love Drives Spending: 5 Stock Picks for Valentine’s Day
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis praises recent results and comp/traffic gains but notes there’s still operational upside — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Brinker International: Crisp Results, Traffic Gains
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/marketing activity (Chili’s “Margarita of the Month Club”) could modestly lift traffic and customer engagement, but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. Chili’s Margarita Club PR
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks made small mixed estimate moves — several upgrades across FY2026–FY2028 but a tiny Q2?2028 cut (from $3.31 to $3.30) — overall upbeat but with isolated tweaks investors should note. MarketBeat EAT
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional flows show some new and expanded positions by funds; steady institutional interest can support longer?term share stability. MarketBeat EAT
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director James C. Katzman sold 447 shares at roughly $164.19 (SEC filing). The sale is small (~1.5% reduction) but can be interpreted by some investors as a near?term negative signal. SEC Filing

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 105.8% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 52.1% during the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 219 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,462 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 12,097 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,181,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Rezny Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Brinker International by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Rezny Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,738 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,685,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $192.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $188.56.

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.