Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) PT Raised to $55.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $50.00 to $55.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective suggests a potential upside of 21.57% from the stock’s previous close.

EAT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Brinker International from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $36.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $43.00.

Brinker International Stock Down 3.0 %

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $45.24 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 2.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $46.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.42. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $28.23 and a 12-month high of $51.72.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.08 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. Equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total value of $1,086,610.11. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 56,661 shares in the company, valued at $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter worth approximately $57,246,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 2,694.9% during the first quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 761,011 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,040,000 after buying an additional 733,782 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 86.0% during the first quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,389,928 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $52,817,000 after buying an additional 642,666 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 32.1% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 2,451,624 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $89,729,000 after buying an additional 595,818 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $20,401,000.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.