Zacks Research Analysts Reduce Earnings Estimates for EAT

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) – Analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q2 2027 earnings estimates for Brinker International in a research report issued on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of $3.23 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $3.24. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Brinker International’s current full-year earnings is $13.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Brinker International’s Q3 2027 earnings at $3.34 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $3.33 EPS.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.Brinker International’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Brinker International in a report on Friday, September 18th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. UBS Group upped their price target on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Freedom Broker raised Brinker International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $243.38.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $184.99 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a PE ratio of 16.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $254.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $219.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $178.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total value of $5,759,750.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 77,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,927,106.68. This represents a 24.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 3,030 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $707,444.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,494 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,084,499.12. This trade represents a 14.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690 in the last 90 days. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,729,477 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,130,552,000 after purchasing an additional 145,525 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 3.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,748,760 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $293,786,000 after buying an additional 59,120 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 0.8% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,170,612 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $167,128,000 after acquiring an additional 9,692 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,938,000 after acquiring an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at $91,237,000.

More Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded EAT to “Strong-Buy” from “Hold,” signaling increased confidence in Brinker’s earnings growth and valuation. Brinker International upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised multiple earnings forecasts, including FY2027 EPS to $13.06 from $13.03, FY2028 EPS to $13.97 from $13.66, and FY2029 EPS to $15.22 from $14.90. Quarterly estimates were also increased, including Q1 FY2027 EPS to $2.42 from $2.29. These revisions point to improving expectations for Chili’s and other operations. Zacks Research raises earnings estimates for EAT
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks analysis identified Brinker as a potentially attractive long-term growth stock based on its style and growth characteristics, adding to the constructive analyst sentiment. Why Brinker International is a top growth stock for the long term
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s current valuation remains supported by expected earnings of approximately $13.15–$13.16 per share for the current fiscal year, while the stock remains well above its 52-week low but below its recent high. The supplied reports provide no new operational or company-specific negative catalyst to explain the decline.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining establishments. Its portfolio is led by Chili’s Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, steaks, fajitas, ribs and other American-style menu items, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and operates both restaurants and catering services.

Brinker also developed It’s Just Wings, a virtual restaurant brand offering chicken wings, fries and related items through delivery and takeout.