Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results

Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $975.22 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $980.64 million. Bloomin’ Brands had a negative net margin of 1.46% and a positive return on equity of 33.92%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. Bloomin’ Brands updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.570-0.620 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 0.750-0.900 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Bloomin’ Brands’ conference call:

• Q4 comps were flat while U.S. traffic grew +50 bps and Outback traffic rose +90 bps (its first positive traffic quarter since Q4 2021), with the company narrowing the gap vs. the casual-dining industry quarter-over-quarter.
• Management highlighted early success from a November 2025 steak lineup (strong guest satisfaction and reorder intent) plus a planned Q2 service-model change (peak server station reduced to 4 tables) and formal Steak Excellence certification to drive consistency and repeat visits.
• For fiscal 2026 the company plans ~$50M of turnaround investments (offset by ~$30M of non-guest-facing productivity for a net ~$20M), guides U.S. comps of +0.5%–+2.5%, adjusted EPS $0.75–$0.90, expects commodity inflation of 4.5%–5.5% and CapEx of $185M–$195M, and notes a Q1 weather headwind (~2.2% sales, ~$0.08 EPS) included in guidance.
• Q4 adjusted EPS was $0.26 (within guidance) while GAAP showed a $0.14 loss driven by ~$46M of adjustments (impairments and closures); the company materially reduced leverage in 2025 with total debt down to ~$787M and net debt of ~$728M.

Bloomin’ Brands Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of NASDAQ BLMN traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $6.07. The stock had a trading volume of 2,215,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,322,697. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.77. Bloomin’ Brands has a 1-year low of $5.68 and a 1-year high of $11.65. The company has a market capitalization of $516.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.05 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $6.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.95.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BLMN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Bloomin’ Brands from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $7.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Bloomin’ Brands in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Bloomin’ Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $10.00 price target on Bloomin’ Brands in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.64.

Key Headlines Impacting Bloomin’ Brands

Here are the key news stories impacting Bloomin’ Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Outback traffic turned positive for the first quarter in four years, evidence the company’s turnaround initiatives may be gaining traction. Bloomin’ Brands Posts Narrower Loss Amid Turnaround Efforts
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat estimates: reported $0.26 vs. consensus $0.25, showing profitability progress despite year-over-year compression from $0.38 prior. Bloomin’ Brands Q4 Earnings Snapshot / MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Company guided Q1 2026 EPS of $0.570–$0.620, above the prior consensus of $0.550 — a near-term beat that may support near-term upside if execution holds. Bloomin’ Brands Announces 2025 Q4 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: FY 2026 EPS guidance updated to $0.750–$0.900 versus consensus ~ $0.830 — the range overlaps consensus (midpoint ~ in line/slightly below), leaving room for interpretation on full‑year momentum. Bloomin’ Brands FY 2026 Guidance / BusinessWire
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue showed modest year-over-year growth (+0.3% to $975.22M), indicating stabilization but not a strong top‑line rebound. Q4 Revenue / BusinessWire
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed the Street ($975.22M vs. $980.64M est.) and the company still reported a negative net margin, which keeps profitability concerns front-and-center for investors. Earnings Details / MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet and liquidity metrics remain watch‑items (high debt-to-equity and low current/quick ratios highlighted by analysts), amplifying downside risk if cash flow recovery slows. BLMN Stock Snapshot / MarketBeat

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bloomin’ Brands

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BLMN. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 50.4% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 333,693 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,393,000 after acquiring an additional 111,801 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 156.1% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 591,373 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,240,000 after purchasing an additional 360,450 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 6.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 46,395 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 2,622 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 123.1% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,299,778 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,489,000 after buying an additional 1,268,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 4.3% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,048,497 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $7,518,000 after buying an additional 43,329 shares in the last quarter.

About Bloomin’ Brands

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc engages in the ownership, operation and franchising of casual dining restaurants worldwide. The company’s portfolio includes five full-service restaurant chains: Outback Steakhouse, known for its Australian-inspired steakhouse concept; Carrabba’s Italian Grill, offering Italian-American cuisine; Bonefish Grill, specializing in handcrafted seafood dishes; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, focusing on premium steak and wine experiences; and Aussie Grill by Outback, featuring a streamlined menu of signature items.