Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Raised to $262.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price target lifted by Morgan Stanley from $260.00 to $262.00 in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on EAT. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Brinker International in a report on Thursday. Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $275.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Brinker International from $282.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $250.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $249.80.

Brinker International Stock Down 3.5%

Brinker International stock opened at $212.27 on Thursday. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $209.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.58. The firm has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.32. Brinker International had a return on equity of 125.65% and a net margin of 8.44%. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. Brinker International’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Brinker International will post 13.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total value of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 16,220 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total transaction of $3,831,488.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at $10,099,822.32. This represents a 27.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 213,694 shares of company stock valued at $50,383,890 in the last 90 days. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,532 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 20,669 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,472,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 2,078 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,287 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter.

More Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $13.30–$13.90, above the $13.26 analyst consensus. The company’s strong first-quarter results, including accelerating Chili’s traffic, also supported investor optimism. Brinker International advances on strong Q1 results and raised outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts broadly raised their views following the results. Wells Fargo lifted its target to $285, Baird to $280, Citigroup to $277, TD Cowen to $270, Morgan Stanley to $262 and KeyCorp to $258; the firms maintained bullish ratings such as “buy,” “overweight” or “outperform.” Wells Fargo analyst recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as a strong growth stock, reinforcing the investment case based on its growth-oriented metrics. Why Brinker International is a strong growth stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 revenue guidance of $6.2 billion–$6.3 billion is broadly in line with expectations, although its midpoint is slightly below the $6.3 billion consensus estimate.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kevin Hochman sold 40,000 EAT shares for approximately $8.8 million, reducing his ownership by 27.66%. While the transaction does not necessarily indicate a change in business fundamentals, the sizable insider sale can weigh on sentiment. SEC insider ownership filing

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker’s principal brands are Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.