Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Hits New 1-Year High at $50.25

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $50.25 and last traded at $50.10, with a volume of 130221 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.03.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on EAT. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Brinker International from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $36.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Brinker International from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $42.38.

Brinker International Price Performance

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $45.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.06. The company has a market capitalization of $2.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.57, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 2.46.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.08 billion. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 113.41% and a net margin of 3.63%. Equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total value of $1,086,610.11. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares in the company, valued at $2,548,045.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,694,269 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $211,472,000 after purchasing an additional 54,628 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Brinker International by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,399,920 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $233,169,000 after buying an additional 30,861 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP grew its stake in Brinker International by 32.1% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 2,451,624 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $89,729,000 after buying an additional 595,818 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter worth approximately $57,246,000. Finally, State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 2.9% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,654,811 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $63,148,000 after acquiring an additional 46,935 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Company 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.