Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Trims Stock Position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 29.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,900 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 2,020 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Brinker International were worth $730,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maxi Investments CY Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,519,000. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 62.7% in the 1st quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 3,297 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $491,000 after acquiring an additional 1,271 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 102.0% in the 1st quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 995,713 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $148,411,000 after acquiring an additional 502,897 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,571 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,128,000 after acquiring an additional 407 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,563,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $156.41.

Brinker International Stock Up 1.8%

EAT stock opened at $157.68 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $168.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $158.35. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $58.85 and a 12 month high of $192.21. The company has a market cap of $7.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 13th. The restaurant operator reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.42 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 6.50% and a return on equity of 333.03%. Brinker International's quarterly revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brinker International news, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total transaction of $1,703,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 99,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,916,236.92. This represents a 9.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.

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