Ritholtz Wealth Management Buys 6,359 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 46.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,942 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 6,359 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management's holdings in Brinker International were worth $2,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 575.0% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the first quarter worth $30,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at $105,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on EAT shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of 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. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $141.14.

Brinker International Price Performance

Brinker International stock traded down $2.25 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $179.01. 1,438,389 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,489,376. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.27 and a 12-month high of $192.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $154.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $149.55. The company has a market cap of $7.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.60, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.71.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 20,591 shares of the company's stock, 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 quarter, insiders have sold 13,127 shares of company stock valued at $2,128,062. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.