Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded by Seaport Research Partners to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday,Zacks reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp increased their price target on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.30.

Brinker International Stock Performance

EAT stock opened at $210.64 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $8.80 billion, a PE ratio of 19.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $216.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $172.31. 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 earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP George S. Felix sold 14,349 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total value of $3,407,457.03. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,293 shares in the company, valued at $1,494,398.71. This represents a 69.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 16,220 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total transaction of $3,831,488.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,099,822.32. The trade was a 27.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 13.1% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,620,000 after purchasing an additional 2,489 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Brinker International by 24.1% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,897 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,495,000 after buying an additional 1,726 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd grew its holdings in Brinker International by 318.2% during the second quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 28,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,712,000 after buying an additional 21,340 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $145,000. Finally, Empirical Finance LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $687,000.

About Brinker International

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.