Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $193.25.

EAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $189.00 to $227.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of 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, Stephens began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday, July 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $220.00 target price on the stock.

Brinker International Stock Performance

NYSE EAT opened at $225.26 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $100.30 and a fifty-two week high of $225.50. The business has a fifty day moving average of $170.86 and a 200-day moving average of $156.43. The stock has a market cap of $9.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.23.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. UBS Group AG lifted 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 worth $427,066,000 after acquiring an additional 1,511,266 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in Brinker International by 667.5% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,938,000 after purchasing an additional 993,435 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $83,603,000. Capital World Investors increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 558,799 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC increased 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 worth $111,299,000 after purchasing an additional 449,871 shares during the last quarter.

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.