Aberdeen Group plc Raises Stake in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 8.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 136,564 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 10,891 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.31% of Brinker International worth $19,600,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 155.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $185,509,000 after purchasing an additional 890,593 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at $80,518,000. Samlyn Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 104.9% in the 3rd quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 878,584 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $111,299,000 after purchasing an additional 449,871 shares during the last quarter. Mane Global Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $68,695,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in Brinker International by 58.6% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 932,954 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $118,187,000 after acquiring an additional 344,539 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International Trading Up 3.4%

NYSE EAT opened at $149.60 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’s fifty day moving average price is $149.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.51. The company has a market capitalization of $6.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $187.12.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on EAT. Jefferies Financial Group increased 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. Raymond James Financial raised Brinker International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group increased their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays increased their target price on Brinker International from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.11.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total transaction of $1,335,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,004 shares in the company, valued at $3,339,636. This trade represents a 28.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 5,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.40, for a total value of $812,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,923 shares in the company, valued at $3,235,495.20. This trade represents a 20.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372 over the last ninety days. 1.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.