Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Shares Purchased by Navellier & Associates Inc.

Key Points

• Navellier & Associates Inc. increased its stake in Brinker International by 287.0% in the first quarter, owning 14,844 shares valued at approximately $2.2 million.
• Wall Street analysts have raised their price targets for Brinker International, with a range from $144 to $215, reflecting an overall average target of $156.41 and an average rating of "Hold."
• Brinker International's stock recently rose by 0.7% to $153.34, with the company reporting strong quarterly earnings that exceeded analyst expectations, showing a year-over-year revenue increase of 27.2%.

Navellier & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 287.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,844 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 11,008 shares during the quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc.'s holdings in Brinker International were worth $2,212,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 575.0% during the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the first quarter worth $30,000. Continuum Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 1,714.3% in the first quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $48,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $144.00 to $149.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $185.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $156.41.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other news, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total transaction of $105,073.71. Following the sale, the director owned 8,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of Brinker International 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 sale, the chief operating officer owned 20,591 shares in the company, valued at $2,798,522.81. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,127 shares of company stock worth $2,128,062. Corporate insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Brinker International Stock Up 0.7%

NYSE EAT traded up $1.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $153.34. 872,812 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,307,409. The stock has a market cap of $6.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.28. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $169.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $157.20. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $56.27 and a 1 year high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 333.03% and a net margin of 6.50%. Brinker International's revenue for the quarter was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.