Brokerages Set Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Price Target at $243.30

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $243.3810.

Several research firms recently weighed in on EAT. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $230.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho increased their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th.

Key Headlines Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast upgrade boosts sentiment: Northcoast Research cited a more favorable outlook for Brinker and raised its rating to Buy. The higher price target suggests the firm sees room for continued gains. Northcoast Research upgrades Brinker International to buy from neutral
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s growth strategy remains a supporting factor: Brinker is targeting its next growth phase through strong average unit volumes, sustained traffic gains, value-focused investments, operational improvements, menu innovation and restaurant remodels. Can Brinker Turn Chili’s $5M AUV Into Its Next Growth Engine?
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor attention: Brinker has been heavily searched by investors, while comparisons with Cheesecake Factory highlight differing restaurant growth strategies rather than a new company-specific development. Investors Heavily Search Brinker International
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst caution remains: DA Davidson recently lowered its price target from $240 to $210 and maintained a Neutral rating, indicating limited near-term valuation upside from that firm’s perspective. Brinker International Price Target Lowered at DA Davidson

Insider Activity

In other Brinker International news, EVP Aaron White sold 16,220 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total value of $3,831,488.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at $10,099,822.32. This represents a 27.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP James Butler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690 in the last ninety days. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Brinker International by 3.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,748,760 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $293,786,000 after buying an additional 59,120 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,620,000 after acquiring an additional 2,489 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 24.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,897 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,495,000 after acquiring an additional 1,726 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its position in Brinker International by 318.2% in the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 28,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,712,000 after acquiring an additional 21,340 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $145,000.

Brinker International Stock Up 3.3%

EAT opened at $206.91 on Friday. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $254.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $217.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.45. The company has a market cap of $8.64 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.25.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 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 analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Brinker International will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

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.