MRA Advisory Group Invests $560,000 in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

MRA Advisory Group purchased a new position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 3,757 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $560,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $410,000. Stephens Inc. AR acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $661,000. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $280,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 287,456 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $38,028,000 after buying an additional 14,634 shares during the period. Finally, LMG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $400,000.

Brinker International Stock Down 2.5%

NYSE EAT opened at $169.20 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $149.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $147.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27. Brinker International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $56.27 and a fifty-two week high of $192.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.52 billion, a PE ratio of 29.32, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.24 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on EAT. Barclays reduced their target price on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $141.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 20,591 shares in the company, valued at $2,798,522.81. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total transaction of $105,073.71. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. This represents a 8.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company 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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