Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Stephens

Stephens started coverage on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $220.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on EAT. Citigroup cut their price objective 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 price target on Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen cut their price target on Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays upped their price objective 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Brinker International from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Performance

EAT stock opened at $189.28 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $156.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.24. 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, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. Brinker International’s revenue 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 1,118.9% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,158 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $173,000 after acquiring an additional 1,063 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 271.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 846 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $153,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Brinker International by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 52,249 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,422,000 after buying an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,222,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in Brinker International by 33.0% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,789 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $323,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the period.

Brinker International News Summary

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.