Insider Selling: Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) COO Sells 2,350 Shares of Stock

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 20,591 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,798,522.81. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Brinker International Stock Up 4.2%

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $151.74 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 26.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $144.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $141.52. Brinker International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.27 and a 12-month high of $192.22.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.24 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 27.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on EAT shares. Citigroup lowered their target price on Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Brinker International from $165.00 to $155.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $141.14.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at $410,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 23.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,879,000 after buying an additional 51,927 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $661,000. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth about $280,000. Finally, LMG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $400,000.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.