Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Now Covered by Stephens

Equities research analysts at Stephens started coverage on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a note issued to investors on Friday. The firm set an “overweight” rating and a $220.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 18.53% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on EAT. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research downgraded Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $185.60 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.96 billion, a PE ratio of 18.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $155.45 and a 200-day moving average of $152.59. Brinker International has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $192.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.85 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 123.22%. Brinker International’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.66 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Brinker International by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $691,680,000 after buying an additional 73,346 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 103.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $427,066,000 after acquiring an additional 1,511,266 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 27.7% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $176,542,000 after acquiring an additional 301,912 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,938,000 after acquiring an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its position in Brinker International by 96.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,306,000 after acquiring an additional 558,799 shares during the period.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.