Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Trading Up 7.1% – Here’s Why

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) rose 7.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $130.43 and last traded at $130.82. Approximately 926,798 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 1,499,407 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.20.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on EAT. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $156.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $161.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Brinker International from $207.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.67.

Brinker International Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $5.80 billion, a PE ratio of 13.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $149.48.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 164.66%. The company’s revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.95 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 44,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $6,944,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 212,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,594,669.94. This trade represents a 17.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 16,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.48, for a total transaction of $2,503,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 12,951 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,026,572.48. This trade represents a 55.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EAT. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter worth $2,446,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 7,911 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,002,000 after acquiring an additional 692 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt raised its stake in Brinker International by 23.3% in the 3rd quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 22,745 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,881,000 after acquiring an additional 4,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hancock Whitney Corp acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth about $207,000.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.