Raymond James & Associates Raises Stock Holdings in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Raymond James & Associates increased its position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 52.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 39,274 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,582 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates’ holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,696,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter worth $27,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the first quarter worth $32,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 68.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 946 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in Brinker International in the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 100.0% in the third quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International Trading Down 2.7 %

Shares of EAT stock opened at $44.06 on Thursday. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $28.23 and a 12 month high of $51.72. The stock has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 2.46. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.79.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 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 analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 113.41% and a net margin of 3.63%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other 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 transaction of $1,086,610.11. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 56,661 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Brinker International from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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. Gordon Haskett raised Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. StockNews.com downgraded Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Raymond James boosted their target price on Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $43.36.

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.