Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Shares Purchased by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 44.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,288 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after purchasing an additional 4,083 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,758,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. Atomi Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $304,000. DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $242,000. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 46.9% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,844 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 589 shares during the period. Nilsine Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 2,966 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $392,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at $83,000.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total value of $105,073.71. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 8,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total transaction of $319,388.50. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 20,591 shares in the company, valued at $2,798,522.81. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $215.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Barclays decreased their price target on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $141.14.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of Brinker International stock traded up $10.39 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $164.92. The company had a trading volume of 412,646 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,489,413. The stock has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.70, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $146.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $144.51. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.27 and a 12-month high of $192.22.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.24 EPS. Brinker International's revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brinker International 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.