Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, TD Cowen Analyst Says

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised Brinker International’s price target to $270 from $210 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying roughly 10% upside from the prior close. Overall analyst sentiment is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $199.75.
• Brinker shares jumped 10.8% to $245.31 and traded near their 12-month high. The move followed quarterly revenue of $1.54 billion, up 5.1% year over year and above estimates, although EPS of $3.07 narrowly missed consensus.
• Fiscal 2027 guidance exceeded Wall Street expectations, while sustained Chili’s comparable-sales growth, digital/takeout expansion and increased share buybacks support the outlook. However, the stock’s elevated valuation and need to sustain growth create execution risks.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at TD Cowen from $210.00 to $270.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. TD Cowen's target price indicates a potential upside of 10.06% from the company's previous close.

EAT has been the subject of several other research reports. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Stephens started coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Friday, July 17th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $220.00 price target on the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $189.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $199.75.

Brinker International Stock Up 10.8%

Shares of NYSE EAT traded up $23.93 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $245.31. The company had a trading volume of 1,839,279 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,167,464. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $100.30 and a twelve month high of $252.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.52 billion, a PE ratio of 24.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.23. The stock's 50 day moving average is $180.87 and its 200-day moving average is $159.07.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.10 by ($0.03). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 123.22%. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. Brinker International's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 10.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EAT. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 2.2% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,729,477 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,130,552,000 after acquiring an additional 145,525 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $691,680,000 after purchasing an additional 73,346 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Brinker International by 103.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $427,066,000 after purchasing an additional 1,511,266 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Brinker International by 27.7% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $176,542,000 after buying an additional 301,912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in Brinker International by 667.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $163,938,000 after buying an additional 993,435 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Brinker International

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 guidance exceeded Wall Street expectations. Brinker forecast adjusted EPS of $12.60–$13.40, above the $12.47 consensus, and revenue of $6.2–$6.3 billion, ahead of the approximately $6.1 billion estimate. Brinker International fiscal 2026 results and fiscal 2027 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s delivered sustained same-store sales growth. Management said fiscal fourth quarter results marked five consecutive years of Chili’s comparable-sales growth, with a cumulative increase of 71% over that period. The performance helped drive higher quarterly revenue and profit. Chili’s digital and takeout growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and takeout expansion provide additional growth opportunities. CEO Kevin Hochman described takeout as the company’s “next big frontier,” signaling plans to capture more of fast food’s digital business. Brinker also announced expanded share buybacks, supporting per-share earnings and shareholder returns. Brinker expands share buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remained supportive. Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating after the same-store sales performance and above-consensus fiscal 2027 outlook. UBS also raised its price target to $260 and maintained a Buy rating. Bank of America reiterates Buy rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results were mixed. Revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion, above estimates, while EPS of $3.07 was slightly below the $3.10 consensus, limiting the quarter’s upside surprise. Brinker earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks remain. With EAT near its annual high and trading at roughly 24 times earnings, some commentary cautioned that the valuation leaves less room for disappointment and that Brinker must identify new growth avenues beyond its recent Chili’s momentum. Brinker valuation and growth risks

About Brinker International

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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