Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Increased to $55.00 by Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $50.00 to $55.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.92% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Brinker International from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. Raymond James increased their target price on Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Brinker International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Gordon Haskett raised shares of Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price objective 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 issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $42.77.

Brinker International Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:EAT traded down $0.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $46.64. The stock had a trading volume of 1,317,825 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,282,539. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.31. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $28.23 and a twelve month high of $51.72. The firm has a market cap of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 13.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 2.46.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 3.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In related news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of Brinker International 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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter worth $57,246,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 2,694.9% in the 1st quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 761,011 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $29,040,000 after purchasing an additional 733,782 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in Brinker International by 86.0% in the 1st quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,389,928 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $52,817,000 after purchasing an additional 642,666 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP lifted its stake in Brinker International by 32.1% in the 2nd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 2,451,624 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $89,729,000 after purchasing an additional 595,818 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners bought a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $20,401,000.

About Brinker International

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.