Zacks Research Issues Positive Estimate for EAT Earnings

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Brinker International in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, May 13th. Zacks Research analyst A. Ram now anticipates that the restaurant operator will earn $1.52 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.40. The consensus estimate for Brinker International’s current full-year earnings is $8.30 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Brinker International’s Q2 2026 earnings at $2.60 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.51 EPS and Q1 2027 earnings at $1.86 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on EAT. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Brinker International from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Wedbush upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Brinker International from $185.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $141.14.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $148.48 on Thursday. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $56.27 and a twelve month high of $192.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The company has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.73, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $144.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.93.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.18. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.24 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 27.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 102.0% in the 1st quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 995,713 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $148,411,000 after buying an additional 502,897 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 3,277.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 987,334 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $130,615,000 after buying an additional 958,101 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 967,550 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $144,201,000 after buying an additional 46,896 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $82,408,000. Finally, Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $81,888,000.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,350 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.91, for a total value of $319,388.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 20,591 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,798,522.81. The trade was a 10.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ramona Hood sold 777 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.23, for a total value of $105,073.71. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,158,650.64. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.