American Century Companies Inc. Reduces Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Key Points

• American Century cut its stake by 68% in Brinker during Q3, selling 317,238 shares and retaining 149,117 shares (about 0.34% of the company) valued at $18.89 million.
• Other large institutions moved the other way: Norges Bank opened a new ~$98.7M position, and Arrowstreet, Balyasny and Westfield significantly increased holdings, indicating continued institutional interest in the stock.
• Brinker posted an earnings beat (EPS $2.87 vs. $2.53 expected; revenue $1.45B vs. $1.41B) and carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" analyst rating with an average price target of $186.44.

American Century Companies Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 68.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 149,117 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 317,238 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.34% of Brinker International worth $18,890,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the second quarter worth about $98,731,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Brinker International by 86.4% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,091,692 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $196,865,000 after buying an additional 506,087 shares during the period. Mane Global Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $68,695,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its position in Brinker International by 107.1% during the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 639,362 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $115,296,000 after buying an additional 330,611 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its position in Brinker International by 24.2% during the 2nd quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,236,583 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $222,993,000 after buying an additional 240,870 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Stock Up 1.7%

EAT stock opened at $139.91 on Wednesday. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year 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. The firm's fifty day moving average is $155.16 and its 200 day moving average is $142.98. The firm has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a PE ratio of 14.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.34.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Brinker International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $186.44.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other news, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total transaction of $1,335,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 21,004 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,339,636. This represents a 28.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,155,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at $7,054,740. This trade represents a 14.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372 in the last ninety days. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Brinker International Company Profile

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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