Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded to Buy at Northcoast Research

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by research analysts at Northcoast Research from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $275.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Northcoast Research’s price target points to a potential upside of 37.03% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Friday. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price target on the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday. Citigroup increased their price target on Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird began coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.38.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.0%

EAT opened at $200.69 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $217.40 and a 200 day moving average of $173.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $100.30 and a 12 month high of $254.99. The firm has a market cap of $8.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.25.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the business earned $2.30 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.15, for a total transaction of $9,726,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 144,090 shares in the company, valued at $35,035,483.50. This represents a 21.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP James M. Butler sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.37, for a total transaction of $2,403,700.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,064 shares in the company, valued at $2,178,713.68. This trade represents a 52.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in Brinker International in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Brinker International by 49.3% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 336 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 33,000.0% during the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 881.2% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 471 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the period.

Brinker International Company Profile

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.