Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Raised to Buy at Northcoast Research

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by research analysts at Northcoast Research from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has a $275.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Northcoast Research’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 30.43% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Brinker International in a report on Monday, August 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson cut their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $230.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Brinker International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.38.

Brinker International Stock Up 1.9%

NYSE EAT opened at $210.83 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $8.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.36, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50 day moving average of $218.49 and a 200-day moving average of $174.47. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 13.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP James Butler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total value of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,178,713.68. This represents a 52.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total transaction of $5,759,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 77,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,927,106.68. The trade was a 24.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Brinker International by 14.9% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 64,309 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,804,000 after buying an additional 8,336 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 3.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,748,760 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $293,786,000 after buying an additional 59,120 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,620,000 after acquiring an additional 2,489 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 24.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,897 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,495,000 after acquiring an additional 1,726 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 318.2% during the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 28,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,712,000 after acquiring an additional 21,340 shares in the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International to “buy” from “neutral,” citing a more favorable outlook and assigning a $275 price target. The upgrade helped drive investor interest in the Chili’s parent. Brinker International stock gains after Northcoast upgrades it
• Positive Sentiment: Brinker is being highlighted as a growth-at-a-reasonable-price stock, suggesting that analysts see a combination of earnings growth prospects and comparatively attractive valuation. Add These 4 GARP Stocks to Your Portfolio to Receive Handsome Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Investor searches and coverage have increased, reflecting heightened attention to Brinker’s operating performance and prospects. Its Chili’s business momentum is a central part of the bullish argument. Investors Heavily Search Brinker International
• Neutral Sentiment: Year-to-date performance is being compared with Global-e Online and the broader retail-wholesale group. The article provides context on relative performance but does not identify a new fundamental catalyst for EAT. Are Retail-Wholesale Stocks Lagging Brinker International
• Neutral Sentiment: A comparison with Cheesecake Factory frames Brinker’s Chili’s momentum as an alternative restaurant-growth strategy, rather than announcing a change in EAT’s outlook. EAT vs. CAKE: Which Restaurant Stock Is the Better Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: One linked report concerns Texas Roadhouse and rising beef costs, not Brinker International. It therefore does not represent a direct negative development for EAT, although food-cost inflation remains a sector risk. Despite Record Sales, Texas Roadhouse Has Beef With Beef Costs

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.