Stephens Upgrades Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) to “Strong-Buy”

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by Stephens to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on EAT. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Barclays increased their price target on Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research cut Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Brinker International Price Performance

NYSE EAT opened at $189.28 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $192.20. The stock has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.56, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s 50 day moving average is $156.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.85.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 123.22%. The company’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.66 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EAT. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 103.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $427,066,000 after acquiring an additional 1,511,266 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Brinker International by 667.5% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,938,000 after acquiring an additional 993,435 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $83,603,000. Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,518,000. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,306,000 after purchasing an additional 558,799 shares during the last quarter.

Trending Headlines about Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Stephens initiated coverage on Brinker International with an overweight rating and a $220 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also raised its price target on Brinker International to $220 from $200 and kept an overweight rating, reinforcing the bullish analyst outlook. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its price target to $204, adding to the cluster of positive analyst revisions for EAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as an incredible growth stock and said the company could beat earnings estimates again, which supports investor confidence ahead of the next report. Zacks growth-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article noted Brinker’s strong earnings surprise history and favorable setup for another quarterly beat, which can be a catalyst for the shares. Zacks earnings beat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from market commentary on Brinker versus other consumer cyclical names helped keep the stock in focus, but it did not appear to materially change the investment thesis. The Globe and Mail analyst coverage article

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.