Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Research Coverage Started at Seaport Research Partners

Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $230.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on EAT. Northcoast Research cut shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on Brinker International from $220.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.30.

Brinker International Stock Performance

NYSE:EAT opened at $197.04 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The firm has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.25. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $217.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.85. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Brinker International will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director James C. Katzman sold 650 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total transaction of $143,058.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,522,938.46. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total value of $2,403,700.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Brinker International by 2.2% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,729,477 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,130,552,000 after purchasing an additional 145,525 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,170,612 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $167,128,000 after buying an additional 9,692 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,938,000 after buying an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,306,000 after buying an additional 558,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $83,603,000.

Brinker International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker outlined plans to return approximately $400 million to shareholders through share repurchases in fiscal 2026, potentially supporting earnings per share and providing a source of demand for the stock. Brinker’s 2026 Outlook: Capital Allocation Targets $400 Million in Share Repurchases
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting 4% to 6% annual revenue growth through fiscal 2029, double-digit annual adjusted EPS growth, 2% to 3% unit growth and as many as 30 new restaurants annually, led by Chili’s expansion and remodels. Brinker Sets Out FY29 Targets, Plans Faster Unit Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Stephens reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $300 target, while TD Cowen reaffirmed Buy with a $270 target, both implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. Stephens Reaffirms Brinker Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage, adding another analyst view to the stock following its previously reported Buy initiation. Seaport Research Partners Initiates Coverage on Brinker International
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that accelerated restaurant development and remodeling will require significant spending before returns materialize, creating potential pressure on margins and free cash flow. Brinker Shares Slip After Investor Day Targets Highlight Heavier Growth Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity is a sentiment headwind: company insiders made no open-market purchases but recorded multiple sales during the past six months, including sales by senior executives.

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.