Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Freedom Broker

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by Freedom Broker to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Friday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on EAT. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $260.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 11th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.30.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $197.04 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $217.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $172.85. The company has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a PE ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The business had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In other news, EVP Michaela M. Ware sold 3,030 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $707,444.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,494 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,499.12. This represents a 14.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 1,909 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.54, for a total value of $484,007.86. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 30,177 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,651,076.58. This represents a 5.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690 in the last quarter. 1.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Brinker International by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 336 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 33,000.0% in the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $71,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Brinker International by 881.2% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 471 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brinker outlined plans to return approximately $400 million to shareholders through share repurchases in fiscal 2026, potentially supporting earnings per share and providing a source of demand for the stock. Brinker’s 2026 Outlook: Capital Allocation Targets $400 Million in Share Repurchases
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting 4% to 6% annual revenue growth through fiscal 2029, double-digit annual adjusted EPS growth, 2% to 3% unit growth and as many as 30 new restaurants annually, led by Chili’s expansion and remodels. Brinker Sets Out FY29 Targets, Plans Faster Unit Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Stephens reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $300 target, while TD Cowen reaffirmed Buy with a $270 target, both implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. Stephens Reaffirms Brinker Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage, adding another analyst view to the stock following its previously reported Buy initiation. Seaport Research Partners Initiates Coverage on Brinker International
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that accelerated restaurant development and remodeling will require significant spending before returns materialize, creating potential pressure on margins and free cash flow. Brinker Shares Slip After Investor Day Targets Highlight Heavier Growth Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity is a sentiment headwind: company insiders made no open-market purchases but recorded multiple sales during the past six months, including sales by senior executives.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining restaurants. Its portfolio includes Chili’s Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, fajitas, ribs, steaks, Tex-Mex dishes and a broad beverage menu, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and family-style dining.

Chili’s restaurants serve a wide range of lunch and dinner offerings in a casual, bar-and-grill setting, while Maggiano’s locations offer traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, chicken, seafood and desserts.