Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded to Overweight at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $200.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their previous price target of $160.00.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on EAT. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Brinker International from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Brinker International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $178.89.

Brinker International Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE:EAT opened at $159.54 on Tuesday. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $192.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.55, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $145.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $144.36.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 164.66%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.95 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. Analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 1,118.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,158 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $173,000 after purchasing an additional 1,063 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 266.7% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 693 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $125,000 after buying an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 43.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,121 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $202,000 after buying an additional 338 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $776,000.

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.