Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a $200.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their prior price target of $160.00. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 26.76% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on EAT. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $135.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Citigroup increased their price target on Brinker International from $176.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $144.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Brinker International from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $190.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $178.89.

Brinker International Stock Down 5.4%

NYSE EAT opened at $157.78 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Brinker International has a 52 week low of $100.30 and a 52 week high of $192.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.37, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a fifty day moving average of $144.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $144.52.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 56.3% during the third quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 22,580 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,860,000 after buying an additional 8,137 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,112,000. Seeds Investor LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth $414,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC lifted its position in Brinker International by 117.0% during the 2nd quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 4,272 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $770,000 after acquiring an additional 2,303 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Brinker International by 86.4% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,091,692 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $196,865,000 after acquiring an additional 506,087 shares during the period.

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.