Man Group plc Buys 178,503 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Man Group plc boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 293.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 239,306 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after buying an additional 178,503 shares during the period. Man Group plc owned approximately 0.54% of Brinker International worth $31,658,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth about $83,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at about $105,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $126,000.

Brinker International Trading Down 1.8%

EAT stock traded down $2.69 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $148.92. 1,342,296 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,492,265. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $56.27 and a one year high of $192.22. The company has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a PE ratio of 25.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $145.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.85. 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.24 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on EAT. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. KeyCorp downgraded shares of Brinker International from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wedbush lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $141.14.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value 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. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total transaction of $105,073.71. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 8,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Brinker International Profile

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.