Insider Selling: Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) CMO Sells $1,679,391.00 in Stock

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) CMO George Felix sold 10,431 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $1,679,391.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 8,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,298,304. This trade represents a 56.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Brinker International Trading Up 5.2%

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $168.99 on Friday. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $187.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $153.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $144.17. The company has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.35.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS Group AG lifted 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 purchasing an additional 1,511,266 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,518,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at approximately $98,731,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Brinker International by 86.4% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,091,692 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $196,865,000 after buying an additional 506,087 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 449,871 shares during the period.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen began coverage on Brinker International in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $192.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $188.56.

Brinker International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded EAT from “Hold” to “Strong Buy” and added it to top‑rank/value lists — an upgrade that often brings retail and momentum flows. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Brinker reported an earnings and revenue beat for the recent quarter and set FY2026 guidance, which prompted multiple firms to raise price targets and issue buy/outperform calls — analyst support is a key catalyst for sustained price strength. Earnings & Analyst Reactions
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish writeups (value and growth themes) highlight above‑average financial growth and steady same‑store sales, increasing investor interest from both value and growth buyers. Zacks Growth Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry pieces and screeners list EAT among restaurants benefiting from rising traffic — this can lift volume and interest but doesn’t change company fundamentals on its own. Sector Trend Article
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders have sold material stakes in recent days (EVP Aaron White sold 7,000 shares; CMO George Felix sold 10,431 shares; earlier CEO and director sales were also reported). Concentrated insider selling can create near‑term selling pressure or raise questions about timing. Insider Sales Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Large executive-level dispositions (CEO, CMO, director-level) increase headline risk; short‑term traders may use these disclosures as selling triggers despite the company’s strong results. SEC Filing (example)

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.