15,232 Brinker International, Inc. $EAT Shares Sold by Smith Group Asset Management LLC

Smith Group Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 73.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,437 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 15,232 shares during the period. Smith Group Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,052,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of EAT. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Brinker International by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,729,477 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,130,552,000 after buying an additional 145,525 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Brinker International by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,748,760 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $293,786,000 after acquiring an additional 59,120 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,170,612 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $167,128,000 after acquiring an additional 9,692 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth $91,237,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 63.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 413,472 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $69,463,000 after acquiring an additional 160,939 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 1,909 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.54, for a total value of $484,007.86. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 30,177 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,651,076.58. The trade was a 5.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director James C. Katzman sold 650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total transaction of $143,058.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,094 shares in the company, valued at $5,522,938.46. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690. 1.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker reported fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings of $2.77 per share, exceeding analyst estimates of approximately $2.45-$2.49 and rising from $2.17-$2.18 a year earlier. Revenue increased 9.4% to $1.48 billion, also topping the roughly $1.46 billion consensus. Brinker International Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s delivered its 22nd consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, with comparable sales up 10% despite lapping a 21% increase in the prior-year quarter. Management said the brand’s three-year cumulative comparable-sales growth reached 52%, highlighting sustained customer demand and strong execution. Brinker Rallies After Chili’s Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance to $13.30-$13.90, slightly above the $13.28 FactSet estimate. The higher forecast signals that Brinker expects operating momentum, particularly at Chili’s, to continue. Brinker Fiscal 2027 EPS Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings beat and outlook revision were widely reported, contributing to unusually heavy trading volume. However, the stock remains near its 52-week high, with a valuation around 20 times earnings, leaving investors dependent on continued sales growth to justify further gains. Brinker Q1 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $220.29 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $210.12 and a 200 day moving average of $174.06. The company has a market capitalization of $9.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.32. Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.17 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.20 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on EAT. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Brinker International from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $230.00 to $255.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Northcoast Research raised shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $275.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $282.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.45.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker’s principal brands are Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.