Stephens Initiates Coverage on Brinker International (NYSE:EAT)

Equities researchers at Stephens began coverage on shares of Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage set an “overweight” rating and a $220.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 16.23% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on EAT. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $189.28 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $156.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $152.85. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $100.30 and a 52-week high of $192.20. The firm has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.85 by $0.05. Brinker International had a return on equity of 123.22% and a net margin of 8.07%.The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.66 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Brinker International will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Brinker International by 570.4% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in Brinker International by 58.5% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 225 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 33,000.0% in 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 during the period.

Trending Headlines about Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Stephens initiated coverage on Brinker International with an overweight rating and a $220 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also raised its price target on Brinker International to $220 from $200 and kept an overweight rating, reinforcing the bullish analyst outlook. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its price target to $204, adding to the cluster of positive analyst revisions for EAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Brinker as an incredible growth stock and said the company could beat earnings estimates again, which supports investor confidence ahead of the next report. Zacks growth-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article noted Brinker’s strong earnings surprise history and favorable setup for another quarterly beat, which can be a catalyst for the shares. Zacks earnings beat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from market commentary on Brinker versus other consumer cyclical names helped keep the stock in focus, but it did not appear to materially change the investment thesis. The Globe and Mail analyst coverage article

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.