Morgan Stanley Raises Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target to $149.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $144.00 to $149.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target would suggest a potential downside of 9.67% from the company's current price.

EAT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup cut their target price 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. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $151.94.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:EAT traded down $1.23 during trading on Monday, hitting $164.95. 643,174 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,459,058. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $167.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.07. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $56.27 and a 12-month high of $192.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.75, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.70.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.24 earnings per share. Brinker International's revenue for the quarter was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total transaction of $105,073.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director directly owned 99,297 shares in the company, valued at $16,916,236.92. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,127 shares of company stock valued at $2,128,062. Corporate insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 575.0% during the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Brinker International by 1,714.3% in the 1st quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter.

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.