Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Brinker International from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Mizuho upped their price target on Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Brinker International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $192.00 target price on the stock. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.56.

Brinker International Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $157.61 on Friday. Brinker International has a 12-month low of $100.30 and a 12-month high of $192.21. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $151.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.34.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.34. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. UBS Group AG increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 103.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $427,066,000 after acquiring an additional 1,511,266 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,518,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at approximately $98,731,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in Brinker International by 86.4% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,091,692 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $196,865,000 after purchasing an additional 506,087 shares during the period. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 104.9% during the third quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 878,584 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $111,299,000 after purchasing an additional 449,871 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings beat and upbeat commentary drove initial buying — Brinker reported an EPS beat and revenue ahead of estimates, and management highlighted a Chili’s turnaround that lifted sales and margins. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s operational improvement is the main growth engine cited on the call and in coverage — investors are focused on comp trends, menu mix, and margin leverage at Chili’s as the reason for the beat. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised targets and ratings across the board after results — large banks (Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citi, UBS, JPMorgan, Jefferies, Barclays, Piper Sandler, etc.) lifted price targets and several upgraded to buy/overweight, signaling increased analyst conviction. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market/sector context: analysis comparing Brinker’s year‑to‑date performance vs. retail/wholesale peers provides context but doesn’t change company fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and presentation are available for detail — useful for verifying management’s commentary on comps, unit economics, and forward guidance. Article Title Presentation

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.