Insider Selling: Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) CEO Sells $10,580,460.00 in Stock

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) CEO Kevin Hochman sold 66,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $10,580,460.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 129,824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,812,085.44. The trade was a 33.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT stock opened at $162.00 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $152.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $144.01. The company has a market cap of $7.06 billion, a PE ratio of 16.38, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $189.00.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a return on equity of 134.92% and a net margin of 7.98%.The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. Analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on EAT shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays upped their target price on Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $192.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Brinker International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.56.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported an earnings beat and raised FY guidance (strong same-store trends and revenue beat), which supports upside expectations and analyst upgrades. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets and issued buy/overweight advice after the results, signaling stronger analyst conviction that can attract buying pressure. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Brinker’s solid interest-coverage/profile stability, making the stock more attractive to risk?sensitive investors in a tighter-rate environment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces and screeners are labeling EAT a trending or possibly undervalued name — this can increase volume/interest but doesn’t change fundamentals by itself. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kevin Hochman sold 66,000 shares (~33.7% cut to his stake) at roughly $160.31 — a large insider disposition that may unsettle investors or be viewed as a liquidity event. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,400 shares (~28.6% reduction) at about $159.00; another material insider sale contributing to negative sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares (~56% cut to his position) and Director Ramona Hood sold a smaller stake — the cluster of recent insider sales increases short?term uncertainty. Read More. • Read More.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Concord Wealth Partners purchased a new position in Brinker International during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 105.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter worth $26,000.

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.