Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC Takes Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,123 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $203,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 8.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 10,757 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,940,000 after buying an additional 840 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the second quarter valued at $609,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the second quarter valued at $55,725,000. Crown Advisors Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the second quarter valued at $2,704,000. Finally, Strs Ohio grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 25.5% during the second quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 5,900 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,064,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 16,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.48, for a total transaction of $2,503,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,951 shares in the company, valued at $2,026,572.48. The trade was a 55.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 44,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $6,944,080.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 212,867 shares in the company, valued at $33,594,669.94. This represents a 17.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 68,325 shares of company stock worth $10,754,785 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $105.02 on Tuesday. Brinker International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $103.41 and a fifty-two week high of $192.21. The business has a 50-day moving average of $136.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $152.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. Brinker International had a return on equity of 164.66% and a net margin of 7.94%.The business had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen cut Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Mizuho initiated coverage on Brinker International in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on Brinker International from $145.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Bank of America raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $190.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.67.

About Brinker International

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.