Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) COO Douglas Comings Sells 5,000 Shares

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) COO Douglas Comings sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.29, for a total transaction of $1,181,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 17,527 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,141,454.83. The trade was a 22.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of EAT stock opened at $242.11 on Tuesday. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $253.71. The company has a market capitalization of $10.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $188.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. Brinker International’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Momentum remains a key support: EAT rose 5.31% over the past week, and Zacks highlighted the stock as attractive for momentum-focused investors. Brinker International Is Up 5.31% in One Week
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also cited Brinker’s growth characteristics as reasons the company could outperform the broader market, providing a favorable fundamental narrative for investors. Is Brinker International a Solid Growth Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target from $166 to $240 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The higher target reflects improved expectations, but it implies limited upside relative to recent trading levels. Piper Sandler Raises Brinker Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains a focus for investors, with coverage discussing broker ratings and whether Wall Street expectations justify the stock’s valuation. Brinker International Broker Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Northcoast Research cut Brinker to Neutral, adding to concerns that the sharp rally may have outpaced near-term fundamental support. Brinker Cut to Neutral at Northcoast Research
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold shares, including CEO Kevin Hochman, who sold 40,000 shares worth approximately $9.7 million; EVP sales totaled more than $7.2 million, while the COO, SVP and a director also reduced their holdings. The transactions do not necessarily indicate deteriorating operations, but the breadth and size of the selling may weigh on sentiment.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EAT. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 37.7% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 242,648 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,643,000 after acquiring an additional 66,383 shares during the period. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the first quarter worth about $3,855,000. Cynosure Group LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter worth about $766,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in Brinker International by 155.9% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 33,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,803,000 after purchasing an additional 20,356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC lifted its position in Brinker International by 357.3% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 7,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after purchasing an additional 5,899 shares during the period.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $207.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp increased their target price 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 raised their target price on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $238.05.

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.