Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) Shares Gap Down on Analyst Downgrade

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the stock from a neutral rating to an underweight rating. The stock had previously closed at $6.39, but opened at $6.03. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now has a $6.00 price target on the stock. Bloomin’ Brands shares last traded at $6.1150, with a volume of 211,578 shares changing hands.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Bloomin’ Brands in a report on Friday, March 27th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Bloomin’ Brands from $6.75 to $7.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $7.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Bloomin’ Brands news, Director Rohit Lal bought 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $5.69 per share, for a total transaction of $56,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 30,156 shares in the company, valued at approximately $171,587.64. The trade was a 49.61% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BLMN. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Bloomin’ Brands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Bloomin’ Brands by 83,825.0% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,357 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 3,353 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Bloomin’ Brands during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 44.1% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,431 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 50.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,221 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 2,099 shares during the last quarter.

Bloomin’ Brands Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $6.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $6.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $522.46 million, a PE ratio of 61.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.12.

Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.01. Bloomin’ Brands had a return on equity of 26.26% and a net margin of 0.21%.The business had revenue of $975.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $980.64 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Bloomin’ Brands has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.570-0.620 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 0.750-0.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. will post 0.85 EPS for the current year.

About Bloomin’ Brands

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc engages in the ownership, operation and franchising of casual dining restaurants worldwide. The company’s portfolio includes five full-service restaurant chains: Outback Steakhouse, known for its Australian-inspired steakhouse concept; Carrabba’s Italian Grill, offering Italian-American cuisine; Bonefish Grill, specializing in handcrafted seafood dishes; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, focusing on premium steak and wine experiences; and Aussie Grill by Outback, featuring a streamlined menu of signature items.