Congress Asset Management Co. Makes New Investment in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 561,025 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $80,518,000. Congress Asset Management Co. owned about 1.26% of Brinker International at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Brinker International by 56.3% during the third quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,580 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,860,000 after acquiring an additional 8,137 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 87.7% in the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 23,023 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,917,000 after acquiring an additional 10,754 shares in the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 25.6% in the 3rd quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 18,491 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,342,000 after acquiring an additional 3,771 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 48.3% in the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 101,282 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $12,830,000 after purchasing an additional 32,991 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 53.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 41,823 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,298,000 after purchasing an additional 14,622 shares during the period.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other news, CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $1,679,391.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 8,064 shares in the company, valued at $1,298,304. This trade represents a 56.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director James C. Katzman sold 447 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.19, for a total value of $73,392.93. Following the sale, the director owned 28,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,760,524.86. This trade represents a 1.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.5%

NYSE:EAT opened at $146.92 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $153.18 and a 200-day moving average of $142.11. The company has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a PE ratio of 14.86, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $187.12.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on EAT shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Brinker International from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $186.61.

Brinker International Profile

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.