Empowered Funds LLC Invests $10.99 Million in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 65,390 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $10,986,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Brinker International as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of EAT. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Brinker International in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Brinker International by 570.4% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Brinker International by 58.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 1,233.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 360 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the last quarter.

More Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised most of its Brinker earnings outlook. Estimates increased for Q1 2027 EPS to $2.29 from $2.16, Q2 2027 to $3.24 from $3.03, Q3 2027 to $3.45 from $3.32, and Q4 2027 to $4.05 from $3.77. The FY2027 forecast rose to $13.03 from $12.29, suggesting stronger expected operating momentum.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also lifted its FY2028 EPS estimate to $13.66 from $13.33, raised Q1 2028 to $2.49 from $2.45 and Q3 2028 to $3.54 from $3.37. Its new FY2029 forecast is $14.90 per share, above the current-year consensus of approximately $13.24.
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions were not uniformly positive: Zacks trimmed its Q2 2028 EPS estimate to $3.30 from $3.34. The mixed adjustment limits the significance of the broader forecast increases.
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Daniel Fuller sold 1,909 EAT shares for approximately $484,000 at an average price of $253.54, reducing his holdings by 5.95%. The transaction occurred near the stock’s 52-week high and may reinforce concerns about insider confidence. Daniel Fuller SEC insider-sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Brinker’s latest quarterly results provide a counterweight to the bullish estimates: EPS of $3.07 narrowly missed the $3.09 consensus, although revenue reached $1.54 billion, rose 5.1% year over year and exceeded expectations. With shares trading at an elevated valuation after a substantial rally, investors may be taking profits despite the company’s solid sales growth and FY2027 EPS guidance of $12.60–$13.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP George S. Felix sold 14,349 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total transaction of $3,407,457.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,494,398.71. This represents a 69.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 145,014 shares of company stock valued at $34,958,437 in the last three months. 1.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Northcoast Research downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 target price for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $242.19.

Brinker International Stock Down 1.2%

NYSE:EAT opened at $230.51 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $203.67 and a 200-day moving average of $166.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.63 billion, a PE ratio of 21.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.24. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $100.30 and a 52 week high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly 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 company 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS for the current year.

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.