Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Shares Acquired by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 24,126 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 562 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned 0.05% of Brinker International worth $3,192,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of EAT. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC grew its stake in Brinker International by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 123.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth $83,000. Truist Financial Corp acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at $206,000. Finally, Longboard Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at about $219,000.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.8 %

NYSE:EAT opened at $160.20 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.33. The company has a market capitalization of $7.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.54. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $43.37 and a one year high of $192.21. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $115.10.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. Sell-side analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. Citigroup upped their target price on Brinker International from $166.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Barclays upped their price target on Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Northcoast Research raised shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $215.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wedbush raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.18.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total value of $1,089,963.72. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total transaction of $1,409,250.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 34,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,435,950.80. This represents a 17.96 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464 over the last 90 days. 1.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.