Two Sigma Investments LP Sells 31,407 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Two Sigma Investments LP reduced its position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 13.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 206,542 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 31,407 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned 0.47% of Brinker International worth $27,323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 44.4% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,288 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,758,000 after purchasing an additional 4,083 shares in the last quarter. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $265,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $370,000. Man Group plc increased its stake in Brinker International by 293.6% during the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 239,306 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $31,658,000 after purchasing an additional 178,503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $623,000.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of EAT stock traded up $10.51 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $165.04. The company had a trading volume of 544,022 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,490,092. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $56.27 and a 52-week high of $192.22. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $146.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $144.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $7.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.53, a P/E/G 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.24 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays reduced their price target 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. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $141.14.

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.