Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at KeyCorp

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by research analysts at KeyCorp from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $177.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. KeyCorp’s target price points to a potential upside of 23.60% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on EAT. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Brinker International in a report on Monday, March 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $184.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $186.11.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of EAT opened at $143.20 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $150.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $141.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.36. The company has a market cap of $6.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $100.30 and a 52-week high of $187.12.

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

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other news, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total value of $1,335,600.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 21,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,339,636. This represents a 28.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.40, for a total value of $812,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,923 shares in the company, valued at $3,235,495.20. This represents a 20.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in Brinker International by 155.9% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 33,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,803,000 after acquiring an additional 20,356 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 564,633 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $81,036,000 after purchasing an additional 5,064 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 51.4% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 12,880 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,849,000 after purchasing an additional 4,372 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 111.8% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 6,258 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $892,000 after purchasing an additional 3,304 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 422.2% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 58,637 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 47,409 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.