Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Raised to Strong-Buy at Seaport Research Partners

Key Points

• Seaport Research Partners upgraded Brinker International to “strong buy.” The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 23 analysts, with an average price target of $243.30.
• Brinker shares rose 3.5% to open at $210.64, while the company reported quarterly revenue of $1.54 billion, up 5.1% year over year. Earnings of $3.07 per share narrowly missed the $3.09 consensus estimate.
• Insiders have been selling shares: company directors sold stock recently, contributing to $41.6 million in insider sales over the past three months; insiders own 1.43% of the company.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Seaport Research Partners to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on EAT. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Piper Sandler raised 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. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $260.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $243.30.

Brinker International Trading Up 3.5%

EAT opened at $210.64 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Brinker International has a 52 week low of $100.30 and a 52 week high of $254.99. The stock has a market cap of $8.80 billion, a PE ratio of 19.34, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.25. The business has a 50 day moving average of $216.56 and a 200-day moving average of $172.31.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total transaction of $5,759,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 77,812 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,927,106.68. The trade was a 24.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director James Katzman sold 650 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total transaction of $143,058.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,094 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,522,938.46. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. Company insiders own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 2,047 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $294,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 20,669 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $3,472,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 336 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 14,289 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,051,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its position in Brinker International by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,147 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining restaurants. Its portfolio includes Chili's Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, fajitas, ribs, steaks, Tex-Mex dishes and a broad beverage menu, and Maggiano's Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and family-style dining.

Chili's restaurants serve a wide range of lunch and dinner offerings in a casual, bar-and-grill setting, while Maggiano's locations offer traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, chicken, seafood and desserts.

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