Brinker International, Inc. $EAT Shares Acquired by California State Teachers Retirement System

Key Points

• California State Teachers Retirement System dramatically increased its Brinker International stake by purchasing 8.42 million additional shares in the second quarter, bringing its ownership to 8.47 million shares, or 20.28% of the company.
• Brinker reported strong operating growth, with quarterly revenue up 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion and EPS rising to $3.07 from $2.30, though EPS narrowly missed analysts’ $3.09 estimate.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $243.30, but the stock has faced pressure after earnings and several insiders recently sold shares.

California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 16,319.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,471,232 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after purchasing an additional 8,419,638 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 20.28% of Brinker International worth $1,423,167,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 1,118.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,158 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 1,063 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 271.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 846 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $153,000 after buying an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Brinker International by 1.9% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 52,249 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $9,422,000 after buying an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Brinker International during the second quarter worth about $3,222,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in Brinker International by 33.0% during the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,789 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the period.

Brinker International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $260 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view supports the case that Brinker’s operating momentum and earnings growth remain attractive. Morgan Stanley analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Brinker’s latest quarter showed revenue growth of 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion, exceeding estimates, while EPS rose from $2.30 to $3.07. The company also provided fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $12.60–$13.40, supporting longer-term earnings optimism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brinker remains a closely watched stock, with investors focused on whether its recent post-earnings decline can reverse. The company’s valuation is elevated relative to its historical performance, making continued sales and margin execution important. Zacks trending stock analysis
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson cut its price target from $260 to $240 and retained a “neutral” rating. Although the new target remains above the recent share price, the reduction signals less confidence in near-term upside. DA Davidson price target update
• Negative Sentiment: The latest quarter narrowly missed consensus EPS estimates, with $3.07 reported versus $3.09 expected. Zacks noted that EAT is down about 10% since that report, highlighting investor concerns despite revenue growth and higher year-over-year earnings. Zacks post-earnings analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Director James Katzman sold 650 shares for approximately $143,059, reducing his direct holdings by 2.52%. The transaction is relatively small but may add modest pressure to sentiment. Brinker insider sale

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $213.44 on Friday. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $254.99. The company has a 50-day moving average of $214.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $170.74. The stock has a market cap of $8.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The firm 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 firm earned $2.30 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on EAT shares. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $243.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,927,106.68. The trade was a 24.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 1,909 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.54, for a total value of $484,007.86. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 30,177 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,651,076.58. This represents a 5.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining restaurants. Its portfolio includes Chili's Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, fajitas, ribs, steaks, Tex-Mex dishes and a broad beverage menu, and Maggiano's Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and family-style dining.

Chili's restaurants serve a wide range of lunch and dinner offerings in a casual, bar-and-grill setting, while Maggiano's locations offer traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, chicken, seafood and desserts.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report).

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.