Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Shares Sold by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC decreased its holdings in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 30.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 290,479 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 125,565 shares during the period. Brinker International accounts for about 0.8% of Wedge Capital Management L L P NC's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned approximately 0.65% of Brinker International worth $43,296,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its stake in Brinker International by 186.9% during the fourth quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 12,403 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,641,000 after purchasing an additional 8,080 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 26.3% in the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 3,662 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 762 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $940,000. Advisory Resource Group bought a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $221,000. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $410,000.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of Brinker International stock traded up $7.13 on Wednesday, hitting $175.52. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,636,153 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,490,428. The company has a market capitalization of $7.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.71. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $56.27 and a 1 year high of $192.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $150.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $148.15.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. The business 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 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.24 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $141.14.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In related news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The stock was 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 represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total value of $1,703,600.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 99,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,916,236.92. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,127 shares of company stock worth $2,128,062 in the last ninety days. 1.72% of the stock is owned by 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.