Virtus Advisers LLC Buys New Shares in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Virtus Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 7,701 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $1,294,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,130,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $327,000. Empirical Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $256,000. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $215,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. KeyCorp upped their target price on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $238.05.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT opened at $232.06 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $193.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $162.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $253.71. The firm has a market cap of $9.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.31, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.24.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In related news, EVP Aaron M. White sold 16,220 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total value of $3,831,488.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,099,822.32. The trade was a 27.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 9,960 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.43, for a total transaction of $2,424,562.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 32,086 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,810,694.98. This represents a 23.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 133,105 shares of company stock valued at $32,070,729. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Brinker International 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.