Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Raised to $50.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price hoisted by analysts at UBS Group from $46.00 to $50.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 4.65% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on EAT. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Gordon Haskett raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.19.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:EAT traded down $0.22 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $47.78. 224,096 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,283,275. The business’s 50 day moving average is $46.95 and its 200-day moving average is $41.31. The company has a market capitalization of $2.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.46. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $28.23 and a 1-year high of $51.72.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.08 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total value of $1,086,610.11. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,694,269 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $211,472,000 after purchasing an additional 54,628 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in 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 buying an additional 30,861 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $57,246,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 24.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,503,198 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $64,908,000 after purchasing an additional 296,785 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 936,283 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $40,430,000 after buying an additional 4,294 shares in the last quarter.

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.