Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Stock Has Average Target Price of $243.38 According to Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts remain broadly bullish: Brinker International has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 24 brokerages, with an average 12-month price target of $243.38. Ratings include 17 buys, five holds and two strong buys.
• Recent operating results were mixed: Quarterly revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion, exceeding estimates, while earnings per share of $3.07 narrowly missed the $3.09 consensus.
• Insiders have been selling shares: Company insiders sold 173,694 shares worth approximately $41.6 million during the last quarter, while hedge funds including Balyasny Asset Management and Wellington Management increased their holdings.

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-four brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $243.38.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EAT. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Brinker International in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $325.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Brinker International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Northcoast Research raised Brinker International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $275.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded Brinker International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Brinker International news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total transaction of $5,759,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 77,812 shares in the company, valued at $17,927,106.68. This represents a 24.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 3,030 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $707,444.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,494 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,084,499.12. This represents a 14.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. 1.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Brinker International by 667.5% during 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 last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at $91,237,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at $39,687,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Brinker International by 63.7% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 413,472 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $69,463,000 after buying an additional 160,939 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 53.7% during the first quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 456,565 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $65,184,000 after acquiring an additional 159,606 shares during the period.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT stock opened at $193.91 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company's fifty day moving average price is $218.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $179.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.30 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 13.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining establishments. Its portfolio is led by Chili's Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, steaks, fajitas, ribs and other American-style menu items, and Maggiano's Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and operates both restaurants and catering services.

Brinker also developed It's Just Wings, a virtual restaurant brand offering chicken wings, fries and related items through delivery and takeout.

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