Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at UBS Group

UBS Group upgraded shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $175.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their prior target price of $144.00.

EAT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Bank of America raised shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $190.00 to $192.00 in a report on Monday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Brinker International from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Brinker International from $161.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Citigroup raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $144.00 to $176.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.94.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $160.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $136.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The company has a market cap of $7.11 billion, a PE ratio of 16.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 164.66%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.95 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in Brinker International by 155.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $185,509,000 after purchasing an additional 890,593 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $98,731,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in Brinker International by 86.4% in 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 last quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 104.9% during the 3rd quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 878,584 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $111,299,000 after acquiring an additional 449,871 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mane Global Capital Management LP bought a new position in Brinker International during the second quarter valued at $68,695,000.

Brinker International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target for Brinker to $170, signaling increased analyst confidence. BMO Raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded Brinker, adding institutional backing and upward pressure on the stock. UBS Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a bullish note valuing EAT with a $188 target, citing strong Chili’s comps, margin expansion and resilient free cash flow — a catalyst for buy-side interest. Seeking Alpha Buy Thesis
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets (MSN/InsiderMonkey/Yahoo) highlighted Brinker as a top restaurant pick with a median analyst target around $170 and noted roughly 45% of analysts are bullish — reinforcing upside expectations. Analyst Attention Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as a long-term growth stock based on style scores and recent earnings momentum, supporting a continued investor focus on growth metrics. Zacks Growth Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays bumped its target to $166 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, which is a limited endorsement (target lift without a buy rating). Barclays Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks included EAT among retail/restaurant names that jumped over 10% recently, a momentum note that may attract traders more than long-term investors. Zacks Momentum Mention
• Negative Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece flagged “conflicting growth patterns” and recommended a hold, highlighting uneven trends that could cap near-term upside for cautious investors. Seeking Alpha Hold View

Brinker International Company 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.