Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Up 7.4% – Here’s Why

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) shot up 7.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $114.15 and last traded at $113.6850. 1,152,747 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 1,482,893 shares. The stock had previously closed at $105.81.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on EAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $155.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Bank of America raised shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Brinker International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $190.00 to $210.00 in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $144.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.67.

Brinker International Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.38. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.23.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 164.66%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.95 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total transaction of $1,307,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,905 shares in the company, valued at $4,538,085. This represents a 22.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 44,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $6,944,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 212,867 shares in the company, valued at $33,594,669.94. This represents a 17.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 68,325 shares of company stock worth $10,754,785. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Brown Advisory Inc. bought a new position in Brinker International during the first quarter worth $200,000. Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $379,000. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 312.3% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 21,271 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,171,000 after acquiring an additional 16,112 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,595 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at about $204,000.

About Brinker International

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.