Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Bloomin’ Brands had a net margin of 0.21% and a return on equity of 25.55%. The firm had revenue of $975.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $980.64 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Bloomin’ Brands updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.570-0.620 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 0.750-0.900 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Bloomin’ Brands’ conference call:

• Q4 comps were flat while U.S. traffic grew +50 bps and Outback traffic rose +90 bps (its first positive traffic quarter since Q4 2021), with the company narrowing the gap vs. the casual-dining industry quarter-over-quarter.
• Management highlighted early success from a November 2025 steak lineup (strong guest satisfaction and reorder intent) plus a planned Q2 service-model change (peak server station reduced to 4 tables) and formal Steak Excellence certification to drive consistency and repeat visits.
• For fiscal 2026 the company plans ~$50M of turnaround investments (offset by ~$30M of non-guest-facing productivity for a net ~$20M), guides U.S. comps of +0.5%–+2.5%, adjusted EPS $0.75–$0.90, expects commodity inflation of 4.5%–5.5% and CapEx of $185M–$195M, and notes a Q1 weather headwind (~2.2% sales, ~$0.08 EPS) included in guidance.
• Q4 adjusted EPS was $0.26 (within guidance) while GAAP showed a $0.14 loss driven by ~$46M of adjustments (impairments and closures); the company materially reduced leverage in 2025 with total debt down to ~$787M and net debt of ~$728M.

Bloomin’ Brands Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BLMN traded down $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $5.99. 640,223 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,433,354. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.77. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $6.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $6.93. Bloomin’ Brands has a 52-week low of $5.60 and a 52-week high of $10.70. The company has a market cap of $510.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.39 and a beta of 1.15.

Institutional Trading of Bloomin’ Brands

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,400,106 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $20,979,000 after acquiring an additional 58,722 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Bloomin’ Brands by 69.9% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,590,098 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $18,571,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,842 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Bloomin’ Brands by 12.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,409,123 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $14,864,000 after purchasing an additional 269,746 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in Bloomin’ Brands by 115.9% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,064,940 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $12,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,108,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Bloomin’ Brands by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,940,257 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $11,973,000 after purchasing an additional 213,932 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Bloomin’ Brands in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup upped their target price on Bloomin’ Brands from $6.75 to $7.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Bloomin’ Brands from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $7.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Loop Capital set a $10.00 price objective on shares of Bloomin’ Brands in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bloomin’ Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.44.

About Bloomin’ Brands

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc engages in the ownership, operation and franchising of casual dining restaurants worldwide. The company’s portfolio includes five full-service restaurant chains: Outback Steakhouse, known for its Australian-inspired steakhouse concept; Carrabba’s Italian Grill, offering Italian-American cuisine; Bonefish Grill, specializing in handcrafted seafood dishes; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, focusing on premium steak and wine experiences; and Aussie Grill by Outback, featuring a streamlined menu of signature items.