Legal & General Group Plc Makes New Investment in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Key Points

• Legal & General Group initiated a position in Brinker International, buying 104,124 shares worth approximately $17.5 million, or 0.24% of the company.
• Brinker reported quarterly revenue of $1.54 billion, up 5.1% year over year, but EPS of $3.07 narrowly missed the $3.09 consensus estimate. Shares opened at $230.51, near their 52-week high of $254.99.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with 17 Buy ratings and seven Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $242.19. However, insiders sold roughly $35 million of stock over the past three months, including significant sales by the CEO and an executive vice president.

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 104,124 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $17,493,000. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.24% of Brinker International at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 570.4% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Brinker International during the third quarter worth $25,000. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the second quarter worth $35,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Brinker International by 58.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Brinker International by 33,000.0% in the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $230.51 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $9.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.45. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $254.99. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $203.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $166.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.30 EPS. The company'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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on EAT. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $242.19.

Insider Activity

In other Brinker International news, EVP George S. Felix sold 14,349 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total value of $3,407,457.03. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,293 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,494,398.71. This trade represents a 69.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 40,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.15, for a total value of $9,726,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 144,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at $35,035,483.50. This trade represents a 21.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 145,014 shares of company stock valued at $34,958,437 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Key Brinker International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised most of its Brinker earnings outlook. Estimates increased for Q1 2027 EPS to $2.29 from $2.16, Q2 2027 to $3.24 from $3.03, Q3 2027 to $3.45 from $3.32, and Q4 2027 to $4.05 from $3.77. The FY2027 forecast rose to $13.03 from $12.29, suggesting stronger expected operating momentum.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also lifted its FY2028 EPS estimate to $13.66 from $13.33, raised Q1 2028 to $2.49 from $2.45 and Q3 2028 to $3.54 from $3.37. Its new FY2029 forecast is $14.90 per share, above the current-year consensus of approximately $13.24.
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions were not uniformly positive: Zacks trimmed its Q2 2028 EPS estimate to $3.30 from $3.34. The mixed adjustment limits the significance of the broader forecast increases.
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Daniel Fuller sold 1,909 EAT shares for approximately $484,000 at an average price of $253.54, reducing his holdings by 5.95%. The transaction occurred near the stock’s 52-week high and may reinforce concerns about insider confidence. Daniel Fuller SEC insider-sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Brinker’s latest quarterly results provide a counterweight to the bullish estimates: EPS of $3.07 narrowly missed the $3.09 consensus, although revenue reached $1.54 billion, rose 5.1% year over year and exceeded expectations. With shares trading at an elevated valuation after a substantial rally, investors may be taking profits despite the company’s solid sales growth and FY2027 EPS guidance of $12.60–$13.40.

Brinker International 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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