Independent Financial Group LLC Takes Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 4,278 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $611,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 29.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 168,467 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $21,342,000 after buying an additional 37,947 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 579.9% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 296,959 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $42,620,000 after acquiring an additional 253,285 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its position in Brinker International by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 136,564 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $19,600,000 after purchasing an additional 10,891 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter valued at about $3,855,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 155.9% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 33,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,803,000 after purchasing an additional 20,356 shares during the period.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $187.19 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $159.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $153.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $100.30 and a 52 week high of $196.38. The stock has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.35, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.24.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.47 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 123.22% and a net margin of 8.07%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.66 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 10.74 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $191.20.

Brinker International 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.