Fifth Third Bancorp Raises Stock Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 10,860.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 28,607 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,346 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp owned about 0.07% of Brinker International worth $4,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Brinker International by 570.4% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in 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 in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted 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 period. Finally, First Horizon Corp lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 181 shares during the period.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on EAT. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays raised their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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 Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of EAT stock opened at $189.28 on Friday. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $192.20. The company has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.56, a PEG ratio of 1.17 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. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.85.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.47 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 123.22%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.66 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 10.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brinker International 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.