Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Freedom Broker

Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Friday,Zacks reports.

EAT has been the topic of several other reports. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on Brinker International in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $243.30.

Brinker International Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of EAT stock opened at $197.04 on Friday. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $254.99. The company has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.09, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $217.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $172.85.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released 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). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. Brinker International’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 1,909 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.54, for a total value of $484,007.86. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 30,177 shares in the company, valued at $7,651,076.58. This represents a 5.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director James C. Katzman sold 650 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total value of $143,058.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,522,938.46. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EAT. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in Brinker International by 13.1% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,620,000 after acquiring an additional 2,489 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 24.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,897 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,495,000 after purchasing an additional 1,726 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its holdings in Brinker International by 318.2% in the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 28,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,712,000 after buying an additional 21,340 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the second quarter worth about $145,000. Finally, Empirical Finance LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the second quarter worth about $687,000.

Brinker International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker outlined plans to return approximately $400 million to shareholders through share repurchases in fiscal 2026, potentially supporting earnings per share and providing a source of demand for the stock. Brinker’s 2026 Outlook: Capital Allocation Targets $400 Million in Share Repurchases
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting 4% to 6% annual revenue growth through fiscal 2029, double-digit annual adjusted EPS growth, 2% to 3% unit growth and as many as 30 new restaurants annually, led by Chili’s expansion and remodels. Brinker Sets Out FY29 Targets, Plans Faster Unit Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Stephens reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $300 target, while TD Cowen reaffirmed Buy with a $270 target, both implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. Stephens Reaffirms Brinker Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage, adding another analyst view to the stock following its previously reported Buy initiation. Seaport Research Partners Initiates Coverage on Brinker International
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that accelerated restaurant development and remodeling will require significant spending before returns materialize, creating potential pressure on margins and free cash flow. Brinker Shares Slip After Investor Day Targets Highlight Heavier Growth Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity is a sentiment headwind: company insiders made no open-market purchases but recorded multiple sales during the past six months, including sales by senior executives.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.