Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) PT Raised to $48.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price target increased by Jefferies Financial Group from $47.00 to $48.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a hold rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on EAT. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Brinker International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Brinker International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $43.80.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of EAT stock opened at $45.23 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of 13.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 2.46. The company has a 50-day moving average of $46.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.92. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $28.23 and a 1-year high of $51.72.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.05. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. The company had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total transaction of $1,086,610.11. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 14,190 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $705,000 after acquiring an additional 1,111 shares during the period. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at $99,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 11.4% during the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 11,419 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 1,170 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,399,920 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $233,169,000 after purchasing an additional 30,861 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth $45,000.

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.