Evercore ISI Boosts Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target to $190.00

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at Evercore ISI from $180.00 to $190.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “in-line” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Evercore ISI’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 20.22% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on EAT. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 25th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $171.41.

Brinker International Price Performance

EAT stock opened at $158.04 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $167.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $158.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $7.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.68. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $65.26 and a 52-week high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 13th. The restaurant operator reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.42 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 211.86% and a net margin of 7.12%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total transaction of $1,703,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 99,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,916,236.92. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total transaction of $1,307,025.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 28,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,538,085. The trade was a 22.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 105.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Brinker International by 575.0% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000.

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.