Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $50.21 Million Stock Holdings in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 1.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 298,844 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 3,918 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $50,206,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter worth $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Brinker International by 570.4% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Brinker International by 58.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in Brinker International by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Corp lifted its position in Brinker International by 116.0% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 337 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the last quarter.

Trending Headlines about Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter results were broadly encouraging: revenue exceeded expectations, EPS increased 23.3% year over year, and Chili’s delivered strong sales and traffic growth with expanding margins. However, reported EPS was slightly below consensus in the company’s earnings release. Brinker Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates, Revenues Beat on Chili’s Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s fiscal 2027 outlook calls for $12.60-$13.40 in EPS, supported in part by an extra 53rd operating week. Continued Chili’s traffic gains, restaurant reimages and cost control will determine whether the company can meet or exceed that guidance. EAT’s Fiscal 2027 Guidance Gets a Boost From the 53rd Operating Week
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms raised their price targets following the results, including Bank of America to $310 with a Buy rating, Stephens to $300, Citi to $282, Wells Fargo to $280 and KeyCorp to $275. These revisions reflect increased confidence in Chili’s execution and earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brinker’s stock has risen 28.7% over the past month and reached a new 52-week high, raising expectations. Investors may now require continued traffic growth, margin delivery and guidance execution for further upside. EAT Jumps 28.7% in a Month
• Negative Sentiment: Northcoast Research downgraded EAT from Buy to Neutral, signaling that the recent rally may have priced in much of the expected improvement.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag elevated valuation, inflation and labor-cost risks, while Maggiano’s slower turnaround could limit consolidated growth. These concerns are contributing to profit-taking despite the favorable operating trends. Is EAT a Buy Now as Chili’s Growth Meets Cost and Valuation Risks?

Brinker International Price Performance

NYSE:EAT opened at $237.42 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $10.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.80, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.24. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $100.30 and a one year high of $253.71. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $186.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.35.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. Brinker International’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on EAT. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $160.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Brinker International from $207.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $234.35.

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.