Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Target Lowered at KeyCorp

Key Points

• KeyCorp lowered Brinker International’s price target from $275 to $250 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 31.6% upside from the reported share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $247.10; other firms have issued targets ranging from $270 to $325.
• Brinker reported $1.54 billion in quarterly revenue, up 5.1% year over year, but earnings per share of $3.07 narrowly missed estimates. Insiders sold approximately $41.6 million of shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by research analysts at KeyCorp from $275.00 to $250.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. KeyCorp's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 31.63% from the company's current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on EAT. Freedom Broker raised Brinker International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $325.00 price target for the company. Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $275.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on Brinker International from $282.00 to $270.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $247.10.

Brinker International Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $189.93 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 firm has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.25. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $213.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $182.60. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.30 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13.17 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 1,909 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.54, for a total value of $484,007.86. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 30,177 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,651,076.58. This represents a 5.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total value of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,178,713.68. The trade was a 52.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.18% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gibbs Wealth Management boosted its stake in Brinker International by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management now owns 7,802 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,510,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Brinker International by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,532 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 837.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $278,000 after purchasing an additional 1,282 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,622,000.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker's principal brands are Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy. Chili's offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.

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