Junto Capital Management LP Takes $10 Million Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 78,904 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $9,996,000. Junto Capital Management LP owned about 0.18% of Brinker International at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Holocene Advisors LP raised its holdings in Brinker International by 48.4% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 52,319 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $6,628,000 after buying an additional 17,052 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 244.7% during the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 54,024 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $6,844,000 after acquiring an additional 38,351 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 4.2% in the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 88,053 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $11,155,000 after acquiring an additional 3,579 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 109.1% in the 3rd quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 6,857 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $869,000 after acquiring an additional 82,354 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 48.3% during the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 101,282 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $12,830,000 after purchasing an additional 32,991 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brinker International news, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 66,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $10,580,460.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 129,824 shares in the company, valued at $20,812,085.44. This trade represents a 33.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 7,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,155,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,054,740. This trade represents a 14.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372 over the last 90 days. 1.43% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on EAT shares. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Brinker International from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $186.44.

Brinker International Trading Up 3.7%

Shares of EAT opened at $143.75 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.53, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.31. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $187.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $154.92 and a 200 day moving average of $142.67.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.