Cindy L. Davis Sells 5,802 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Stock

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of Brinker International stock traded down $1.34 on Tuesday, reaching $187.80. 1,129,597 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,328,821. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $140.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.44. The company has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $42.99 and a 1-year high of $192.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.33 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on EAT shares. StockNews.com upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley upgraded Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $70.00 to $115.00 in a report on Friday, December 20th. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Argus upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, Northcoast Research raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $215.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.18.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 26.7% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 7,378 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 1,557 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 23,765 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,720,000 after acquiring an additional 1,025 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $204,000. Algert Global LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $322,000. Finally, Creative Planning raised its holdings in Brinker International by 49.3% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 14,310 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,036,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723 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.