Brinker International’s (EAT) Buy Rating Reiterated at TD Cowen

TD Cowen restated their buy rating on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $270.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock.

EAT has been the subject of several other reports. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Northcoast Research cut shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.30.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $197.04 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.23 billion, a PE ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 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. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $254.99. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $217.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.06.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 3,030 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $707,444.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,494 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,499.12. This represents a 14.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total transaction of $5,759,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 77,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,927,106.68. The trade was a 24.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690 in the last 90 days. 1.43% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 18.0% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 63,795 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,718,000 after buying an additional 9,733 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,258,000. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,710,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Brinker International by 37.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 242,648 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,643,000 after purchasing an additional 66,383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cynosure Group LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $766,000.

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.