Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Invests $13.42 Million in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 79,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $13,417,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. owned 0.19% of Brinker International as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Brinker International by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,729,477 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,130,552,000 after buying an additional 145,525 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $691,680,000 after acquiring an additional 73,346 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 155.2% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $185,509,000 after acquiring an additional 890,593 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 27.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $176,542,000 after acquiring an additional 301,912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 993,435 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brinker International news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 9,960 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.43, for a total value of $2,424,562.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 32,086 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,810,694.98. This represents a 23.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP George S. Felix sold 14,349 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total value of $3,407,457.03. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,293 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,494,398.71. This represents a 69.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 143,105 shares of company stock valued at $34,474,429 over the last 90 days. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Brinker International stock opened at $248.60 on Wednesday. Brinker International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $100.30 and a fifty-two week high of $254.99. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $199.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $164.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $10.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.24.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird initiated coverage with an “outperform” rating and a $325 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view adds to a generally favorable analyst consensus, including recent target increases from Morgan Stanley and UBS. Analyst coverage report
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as a strong growth stock, supported by its favorable growth characteristics and improving earnings outlook. The company’s latest quarterly revenue rose 5.1% year over year, while earnings increased from the prior-year period despite a small quarterly EPS miss. Why Brinker is a strong growth stock
• Positive Sentiment: Brinker was included among restaurant stocks positioned to benefit from strong July industry sales and continued consumer spending. Its Chili’s and Maggiano’s brands could benefit if restaurant demand remains resilient. Restaurant sales stock picks
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also identified Brinker as having solid interest-coverage metrics, suggesting it has comparatively strong ability to service debt amid market volatility. However, the company’s current ratio and quick ratio remain below 1, indicating limited short-term liquidity. Interest coverage stock picks
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Vice President James Butler sold 10,000 shares for approximately $2.4 million, reducing his direct holdings by 52.45%. Although one insider transaction does not establish a broader trend, the sizable sale may concern investors, particularly after EAT’s sharp rally and elevated valuation. Brinker insider stock sale
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 23 times earnings and near its 52-week high, expectations for continued growth appear demanding. The broader analyst consensus price target of $242.19 is below recent trading levels, creating a potential valuation overhang despite the new $325 bullish target.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on EAT. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. 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, August 13th. Mizuho upped their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price target on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $242.19.

Brinker International 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.