Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 24,464 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 486.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,496 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 24,464 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.07% of Brinker International worth $3,914,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth $410,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 23.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $20,879,000 after purchasing an additional 51,927 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at $661,000. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at about $280,000. Finally, LMG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $400,000.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Brinker International stock traded up $3.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $133.13. 1,682,365 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,485,842. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.78 and a 12-month high of $192.22. The business's 50-day moving average is $146.79 and its 200-day moving average is $138.96. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $5.91 billion, a PE ratio of 23.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total value of $1,409,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 34,252 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,435,950.80. This represents a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total transaction of $1,089,963.72. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464. Company insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Barclays reduced their price target on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently 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.