Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded by Evercore ISI to Outperform Rating

Key Points

• Brinker International's stock was upgraded by Evercore ISI from "in-line" to "outperform," with a new price target of $210.00, indicating a potential upside of 32.07% from its previous close.
• The company reported $2.49 earnings per share for the last quarter, exceeding expectations of $2.47, while also having a revenue of $1.46 billion, surpassing estimates of $1.42 billion.
• Five analysts have rated Brinker International stock as a "Buy," while twelve analysts have a "Hold" rating, leading to an overall average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $172.59.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Evercore ISI from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has a $210.00 target price on the restaurant operator's stock, up from their previous target price of $190.00. Evercore ISI's price target suggests a potential upside of 32.71% from the stock's current price.

EAT has been the topic of a number of other reports. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $186.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Brinker International from $155.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Brinker International from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 17th. UBS Group raised their target price on Brinker International from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $172.59.

Brinker International Stock Performance

NYSE:EAT traded down $1.64 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $158.24. The stock had a trading volume of 1,098,833 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,416,873. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $161.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $156.53. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $68.45 and a 12-month high of $192.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $7.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.43.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 13th. The restaurant operator reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.02. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.12% and a return on equity of 211.86%. The firm had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.42 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. Brinker International's quarterly revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,325 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total transaction of $1,307,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,905 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,538,085. The trade was a 22.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 44,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $6,944,080.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 212,867 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,594,669.94. This trade represents a 17.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in Brinker International by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 6,811 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $901,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 23,029 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $3,047,000 after purchasing an additional 7,336 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in Brinker International by 121.5% during the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 257,735 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $34,096,000 after purchasing an additional 141,397 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Brinker International by 214.8% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 138,676 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $18,345,000 after purchasing an additional 94,629 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth about $255,000.

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.