Research Analysts Issue Forecasts for EAT FY2026 Earnings

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research raised their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of Brinker International in a research note issued on Wednesday, February 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of $10.61 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $10.16. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Brinker International’s current full-year earnings is $8.30 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Brinker International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.98 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.14 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.99 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.35 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.75 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $12.23 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $3.30 EPS.

EAT has been the topic of several other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Brinker International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $188.56.

Brinker International Stock Performance

EAT opened at $166.26 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $154.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.35. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $187.12.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 56.3% during the 3rd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,580 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,860,000 after acquiring an additional 8,137 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth $4,112,000. Seeds Investor LLC bought a new position in shares of Brinker International in the second quarter worth $414,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in Brinker International by 87.7% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 23,023 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,917,000 after purchasing an additional 10,754 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Navellier & Associates Inc. grew its stake in Brinker International by 25.6% during the third quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 18,491 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,342,000 after buying an additional 3,771 shares in the last quarter.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 66,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $10,580,460.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 129,824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,812,085.44. This trade represents a 33.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $1,679,391.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 8,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,298,304. This represents a 56.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 97,231 shares of company stock worth $15,626,979 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

About Brinker International

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.