Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Given New $55.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price target boosted by Stifel Nicolaus from $50.00 to $55.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Gordon Haskett raised shares of Brinker International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $48.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Brinker International from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $36.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $42.77.

Brinker International Price Performance

Brinker International stock opened at $47.19 on Thursday. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $28.23 and a 1-year high of $51.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 2.46. The company’s 50-day moving average is $46.80 and its 200 day moving average is $40.26.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. Research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total value of $1,086,610.11. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 56,661 shares in the company, valued at $2,548,045.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. TFO Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 64,800.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 649 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 648 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 3,611.1% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 668 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the second quarter worth $27,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the first quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 68.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 946 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.