Quantitative Investment Management LLC Makes New Investment in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Key Points

• Quantitative Investment Management initiated a Brinker International stake of 4,622 shares valued at approximately $776,000 during the second quarter. Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions in the restaurant operator.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with 17 Buy ratings and seven Holds producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $242.19. Recent targets range as high as $325.
• Brinker shares opened at $234.32, near their 12-month high of $254.99. The company reported quarterly revenue growth of 5.1% to $1.54 billion, though earnings of $3.07 per share narrowly missed estimates, while insiders sold about $40.7 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Quantitative Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,622 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $776,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of EAT. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in Brinker International by 667.5% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $163,938,000 after purchasing an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 155.2% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $185,509,000 after purchasing an additional 890,593 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $83,603,000. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $163,306,000 after purchasing an additional 558,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $91,237,000.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at $2,178,713.68. The trade was a 52.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Aaron M. White sold 16,220 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total transaction of $3,831,488.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at $10,099,822.32. The trade was a 27.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 170,014 shares of company stock valued at $40,718,187 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on EAT. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $325.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price 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. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $242.19.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT stock opened at $234.32 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $206.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $167.14. The company has a market cap of $9.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.23. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue 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. On average, equities analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS for the current year.

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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