Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Grows Stock Position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 20.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 229,269 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after buying an additional 38,346 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.52% of Brinker International worth $30,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 123.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $83,000.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of Brinker International stock traded up $3.16 on Friday, hitting $151.80. The company had a trading volume of 1,110,293 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,492,867. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $56.27 and a 1 year high of $192.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $145.15 and a 200-day moving average of $142.57. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.24 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays cut their target price on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Wedbush upped their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $141.14.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the 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 sale, the director now directly owns 8,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Brinker International Company 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.