Brinker International, Inc. $EAT Stock Position Lifted by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 298,844 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 3,918 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.70% of Brinker International worth $50,206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 103.2% during 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 in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth $83,603,000. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,306,000 after acquiring an additional 558,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 104.9% during the third quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 878,584 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $111,299,000 after purchasing an additional 449,871 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter results were broadly encouraging: revenue exceeded expectations, EPS increased 23.3% year over year, and Chili’s delivered strong sales and traffic growth with expanding margins. However, reported EPS was slightly below consensus in the company’s earnings release. Brinker Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates, Revenues Beat on Chili’s Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s fiscal 2027 outlook calls for $12.60-$13.40 in EPS, supported in part by an extra 53rd operating week. Continued Chili’s traffic gains, restaurant reimages and cost control will determine whether the company can meet or exceed that guidance. EAT’s Fiscal 2027 Guidance Gets a Boost From the 53rd Operating Week
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms raised their price targets following the results, including Bank of America to $310 with a Buy rating, Stephens to $300, Citi to $282, Wells Fargo to $280 and KeyCorp to $275. These revisions reflect increased confidence in Chili’s execution and earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brinker’s stock has risen 28.7% over the past month and reached a new 52-week high, raising expectations. Investors may now require continued traffic growth, margin delivery and guidance execution for further upside. EAT Jumps 28.7% in a Month
• Negative Sentiment: Northcoast Research downgraded EAT from Buy to Neutral, signaling that the recent rally may have priced in much of the expected improvement.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag elevated valuation, inflation and labor-cost risks, while Maggiano’s slower turnaround could limit consolidated growth. These concerns are contributing to profit-taking despite the favorable operating trends. Is EAT a Buy Now as Chili’s Growth Meets Cost and Valuation Risks?

Brinker International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $237.42 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.18 billion, a PE ratio of 21.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.24. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $253.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $186.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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. Analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens boosted their target price on Brinker International from $220.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group raised their price target on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their price target on Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.35.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.