Citigroup Cuts Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target to $186.00

Key Points

• Citigroup cut its price target on Brinker International from $190 to $186 but kept a "buy" rating, implying about a 22% upside from the current price; the analyst consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $185.89.
• Brinker posted an earnings beat (Q: $2.87 EPS vs. $2.53 est. and $1.45B revenue vs. $1.41B est.), yet the stock trades around $152.49; insiders have been net sellers recently while large institutions (Vanguard, UBS, others) materially increased stakes.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its price objective decreased by research analysts at Citigroup from $190.00 to $186.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Citigroup's price target would suggest a potential upside of 21.98% from the company's current price.

EAT has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Brinker International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $185.89.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT stock traded down $2.65 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $152.49. 423,852 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,190,653. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $149.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $187.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.36.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. The company 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 quarter last year, the company posted $2.80 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, Director James C. Katzman sold 447 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.19, for a total transaction of $73,392.93. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 28,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,760,524.86. This represents a 1.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ramona Hood sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $64,528.00. Following the sale, the director owned 9,066 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,462,527.12. This trade represents a 4.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Brinker International by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $691,680,000 after purchasing an additional 73,346 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its position in Brinker International by 103.2% in the fourth 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 lifted its position in Brinker International by 27.7% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $176,542,000 after purchasing an additional 301,912 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Brinker International by 667.5% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $163,938,000 after purchasing an additional 993,435 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its position in Brinker International by 96.5% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $163,306,000 after purchasing an additional 558,799 shares during the period.

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.

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