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

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $156.41.

Several brokerages recently commented on EAT. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Brinker International from $144.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Brinker International from $185.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Brinker International from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Brinker International from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday.

Brinker International Stock Down 2.2%

EAT opened at $161.50 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.28. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $168.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $156.67. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $56.27 and a twelve month high of $192.22.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a net margin of 6.50% and a return on equity of 333.03%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.24 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brinker International news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 20,591 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,798,522.81. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total value of $1,703,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 99,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,916,236.92. The trade was a 9.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 13,127 shares of company stock worth $2,128,062. 1.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Brinker International by 575.0% during the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 1,714.3% in the first quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter.

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.

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