Brinker International’s (EAT) “Overweight” Rating Reiterated at Stephens

Stephens reissued their overweight rating on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Stephens currently has a $300.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock.

EAT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Brinker International in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Brinker International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $243.30.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.2%

Brinker International stock opened at $197.04 on Friday. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $217.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.06.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.Brinker International’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total value of $5,759,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 77,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,927,106.68. This trade represents a 24.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James C. Katzman sold 650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total value of $143,058.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,522,938.46. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. 1.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the second quarter worth $35,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its stake in Brinker International by 33,000.0% in the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in Brinker International by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 336 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth $71,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in Brinker International by 881.2% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 471 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the period.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker outlined plans to return approximately $400 million to shareholders through share repurchases in fiscal 2026, potentially supporting earnings per share and providing a source of demand for the stock. Brinker’s 2026 Outlook: Capital Allocation Targets $400 Million in Share Repurchases
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting 4% to 6% annual revenue growth through fiscal 2029, double-digit annual adjusted EPS growth, 2% to 3% unit growth and as many as 30 new restaurants annually, led by Chili’s expansion and remodels. Brinker Sets Out FY29 Targets, Plans Faster Unit Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Stephens reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $300 target, while TD Cowen reaffirmed Buy with a $270 target, both implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. Stephens Reaffirms Brinker Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage, adding another analyst view to the stock following its previously reported Buy initiation. Seaport Research Partners Initiates Coverage on Brinker International
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that accelerated restaurant development and remodeling will require significant spending before returns materialize, creating potential pressure on margins and free cash flow. Brinker Shares Slip After Investor Day Targets Highlight Heavier Growth Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity is a sentiment headwind: company insiders made no open-market purchases but recorded multiple sales during the past six months, including sales by senior executives.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining restaurants. Its portfolio includes Chili’s Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, fajitas, ribs, steaks, Tex-Mex dishes and a broad beverage menu, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and family-style dining.

Chili’s restaurants serve a wide range of lunch and dinner offerings in a casual, bar-and-grill setting, while Maggiano’s locations offer traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, chicken, seafood and desserts.