Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Receives $98.53 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the nineteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $98.53.

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $70.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Brinker International from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Brinker International from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the company from $67.00 to $100.00 in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Argus raised Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $141.14 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.32. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $124.48 and its 200-day moving average is $91.13. The company has a market cap of $6.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 2.52. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $37.25 and a 52-week high of $141.18.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.26. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.28 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 5.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In related news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.02, for a total transaction of $386,634.06. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 23,071 shares in the company, valued at $2,376,774.42. This represents a 13.99 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 13,850.1% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,057,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $76,546,000 after purchasing an additional 1,049,836 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 998,278 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $76,413,000 after buying an additional 8,105 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 942,510 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $68,228,000 after buying an additional 227,047 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 4.3% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 691,230 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $52,900,000 after acquiring an additional 28,373 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 55.1% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 618,728 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $47,351,000 after acquiring an additional 219,836 shares during the period.

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.