Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Trading 7.1% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) shares traded up 7.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $130.43 and last traded at $130.82. 926,798 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 38% from the average session volume of 1,499,407 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.20.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $207.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $145.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $144.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Bank of America raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $190.00 to $192.00 in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.67.

Brinker International Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.35. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $124.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $149.22. The company has a market cap of $6.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.02, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.38.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 16,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.48, for a total value of $2,503,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 12,951 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,026,572.48. This trade represents a 55.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 44,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $6,944,080.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 212,867 shares in the company, valued at $33,594,669.94. This represents a 17.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 105.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000.

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.