Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Lowered to $188.00 at TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen lowered its price target on Brinker from $192 to $188 but kept a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 17.6% upside
• Q4 results beat expectations — $2.87 EPS vs. $2.53 expected and $1.45B revenue vs. $1.41B — while shares trade near $159.87 with a P/E of ~16.2 and a market cap of about $6.96 billion.
• Insider selling has been notable: insiders sold roughly 97,678 shares worth $15.7M in the past three months, leaving insiders with about 1.43% ownership.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at TD Cowen from $192.00 to $188.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. TD Cowen's target price indicates a potential upside of 17.60% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $155.00 price target on the stock. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $185.68.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.4%

EAT traded up $0.62 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $159.87. The stock had a trading volume of 206,758 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,177,901. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.36. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $148.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $142.29. Brinker International has a 52 week low of $100.30 and a 52 week high of $187.12.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 134.92% and a net margin of 7.98%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In related news, Director James C. Katzman sold 447 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.19, for a total transaction of $73,392.93. Following the sale, the director owned 28,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,760,524.86. This trade represents a 1.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $1,679,391.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 8,064 shares in the company, valued at $1,298,304. This represents a 56.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372 in the last three months. 1.43% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 1,118.9% in the first 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. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 271.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 846 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $153,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 1.9% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 52,249 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $9,422,000 after acquiring an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the second quarter valued at about $3,222,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 33.0% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,789 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $323,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the last quarter.

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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