Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price target upped by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $200.00 to $220.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 16.23% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup reduced their target price on Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. KeyCorp increased their price target on Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Brinker International stock opened at $189.28 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.85. The stock has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $192.20.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.85 by $0.05. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 123.22%. The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.66 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Brinker International will post 10.75 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 570.4% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 58.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 45.1% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 116.0% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 337 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period.

Key Brinker International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stephens initiated coverage on Brinker International with an overweight rating and a $220 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also raised its price target on Brinker International to $220 from $200 and kept an overweight rating, reinforcing the bullish analyst outlook. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its price target to $204, adding to the cluster of positive analyst revisions for EAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as an incredible growth stock and said the company could beat earnings estimates again, which supports investor confidence ahead of the next report. Zacks growth-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article noted Brinker’s strong earnings surprise history and favorable setup for another quarterly beat, which can be a catalyst for the shares. Zacks earnings beat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from market commentary on Brinker versus other consumer cyclical names helped keep the stock in focus, but it did not appear to materially change the investment thesis. The Globe and Mail analyst coverage article

About Brinker International

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.