Brinker International, Inc. $EAT Shares Newly Acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.

Key Points

• Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors acquired 13,550 Brinker International shares worth approximately $2.62 million during the third quarter. Other institutional investors, including Deutsche Bank and Bank of America, also increased or initiated positions.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with three Strong Buy, seventeen Buy and four Hold ratings; the stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $248.29, despite some recent target reductions.
• Brinker reported quarterly revenue of $1.54 billion, up 5.1% year over year, but earnings per share of $3.07 narrowly missed estimates. Meanwhile, insiders sold 173,694 shares worth about $41.6 million over the past three months, with no reported insider purchases.

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 13,550 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $2,622,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of EAT. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in Brinker International by 18.0% in the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 63,795 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $10,718,000 after buying an additional 9,733 shares in the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the second quarter worth $2,258,000. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the second quarter worth $3,710,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Brinker International by 37.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 242,648 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $34,643,000 after acquiring an additional 66,383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cynosure Group LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at $766,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EAT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Brinker International from $280.00 to $270.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price objective on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $248.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, Director James Katzman sold 650 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.09, for a total transaction of $143,058.50. Following the sale, the director owned 25,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,522,938.46. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP James Butler sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690. Insiders own 1.18% of the company's stock.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $187.62 on Thursday. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $214.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $182.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market cap of $7.83 billion, a PE ratio of 17.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.25.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.30 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects Brinker to report year-over-year earnings growth next week, and Zacks said the company has factors that could support an earnings beat. Strong operating momentum and the company’s longer-term growth plans remain supportive of the investment case. Brinker International Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis upgraded its view of Brinker, citing the company’s growth prospects and improving outlook, while another article described the company as entering a new phase of growth. Brinker International Looks Tastier Than Ever
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $270 from $280 but retained an Overweight rating, indicating reduced near-term valuation expectations rather than a change to its bullish fundamental stance. Wells Fargo Brinker Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Recent target reductions from TD Cowen and Citigroup add to investor caution following Brinker’s substantial prior run-up. The cuts suggest analysts see less immediate upside, even though positive ratings have been maintained. Why Brinker International Stock Is Down Today
• Negative Sentiment: Insider-trading data shows 19 open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including sales by the chief executive and other senior executives. While such transactions may reflect compensation or diversification, the one-sided pattern can weigh on sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup issued a more cautious forecast, reinforcing concerns that expectations and valuation may be elevated ahead of the October 28 earnings release. Citigroup Forecast for Brinker International

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker's principal brands are Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy. Chili's offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.

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.