Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $141.14.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE EAT traded down $0.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $175.52. 740,982 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,491,251. The company's fifty day moving average is $148.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.31. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $56.27 and a fifty-two week high of $192.22. The stock has a market cap of $7.80 billion, a PE ratio of 30.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.33.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. Brinker International's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.24 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total value of $105,073.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,568 shares in the company, valued at $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total transaction of $319,388.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 20,591 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,798,522.81. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 575.0% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 1,714.3% in the 1st quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 227.3% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 252 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period.

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.