Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• "Moderate Buy" consensus from 20 analysts (13 buy, 7 hold) with an average 1-year price target of $186.61, and notable target increases from Wells Fargo ($200) and Raymond James ($195).
• Brinker beat the quarter with EPS $2.87 vs. $2.53 expected and revenue $1.45B vs. $1.41B, with revenue up 6.9% year-over-year and a P/E of 13.94.
• Insiders have sold 97,678 shares totaling about $15.7M over the past 90 days (insiders now own 1.43%), including a 7,000-share sale by the EVP.

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $186.6111.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Brinker International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Brinker International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Brinker International from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $195.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT stock opened at $137.88 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $151.93 and a 200-day moving average of $142.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $187.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.80 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ramona Hood sold 400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $64,528.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 9,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,462,527.12. The trade was a 4.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total transaction of $1,155,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,054,740. This represents a 14.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 1,118.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,158 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $173,000 after acquiring an additional 1,063 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Brinker International by 87.7% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,598 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $468,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in Brinker International by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,087 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,901,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Brinker International by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 134,405 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $24,237,000 after purchasing an additional 11,679 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Brinker International by 170.1% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 108,628 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $19,589,000 after purchasing an additional 68,412 shares during the period.

Brinker International Company 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.

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