Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at Stephens

Stephens upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of 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 lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their price target on Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $189.28 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $156.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.85. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $100.30 and a fifty-two week high of $192.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.24.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.05. Brinker International had a return on equity of 123.22% and a net margin of 8.07%.The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.47 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.66 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Brinker International will post 10.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 570.4% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter worth $25,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 45.1% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 33,000.0% in the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the period.

Brinker International News Roundup

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

Brinker International Company 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.