Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Trading 8.8% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) shares traded up 8.8% during trading on Wednesday after Bank of America raised their price target on the stock from $224.00 to $310.00. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. Brinker International traded as high as $240.86 and last traded at $240.86. 1,077,220 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 7% from the average session volume of 1,162,836 shares. The stock had previously closed at $221.38.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays lifted 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. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $160.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $234.35.

Key Headlines Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism increased: Bank of America raised its price target to $310 and maintained a Buy rating. Citigroup, Wells Fargo, KeyCorp, Stephens, Mizuho and TD Cowen also lifted their targets, generally citing stronger expected sales, earnings and operating momentum. These Analysts Boost Their Forecasts On Brinker Following Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s continues to drive growth: Fourth-quarter revenue reached $1.54 billion, above the $1.53 billion consensus, while Chili’s benefited from stronger traffic, same-store sales and demand for new chicken-sandwich offerings. Expanding margins and digital takeout initiatives are also supporting the bullish narrative. Brinker Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates, Revenues Beat on Chili’s Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 outlook was stronger than expected: Management forecast adjusted EPS of $12.60 to $13.40, with analysts averaging approximately $12.84. The outlook for continued revenue and earnings growth helped offset the modest quarterly EPS miss of $3.07 versus the $3.09 consensus.
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted Brinker’s 21-quarter winning streak and brand strength on Mad Money, providing additional visibility for EAT. However, commentary also pointed to underlying results that are more complicated than the headline Chili’s figures suggest. Jim Cramer Says Brinker Is Winning on Value
• Negative Sentiment: Northcoast Research downgraded Brinker from Buy to Neutral. The move may temper the positive impact from other target increases, particularly after EAT’s sharp rally and elevated valuation near 22 times earnings.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in Brinker International in the first quarter worth $3,855,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in Brinker International by 155.9% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 33,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,803,000 after purchasing an additional 20,356 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 357.3% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 7,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after purchasing an additional 5,899 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Brinker International by 78.0% in the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 143,484 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $20,568,000 after buying an additional 62,878 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 55.4% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 30,366 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,337,000 after buying an additional 10,826 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International Trading Down 2.6%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $185.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $160.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.99, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.24.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 127.82% 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 previous year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 12.84 EPS for the current year.

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.