Russell Investments Group Ltd. Increases Holdings in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 24.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 48,477 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 9,386 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $8,144,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 570.4% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 45.1% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 299 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp increased its stake in Brinker International by 116.0% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 337 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter results were broadly encouraging: revenue exceeded expectations, EPS increased 23.3% year over year, and Chili’s delivered strong sales and traffic growth with expanding margins. However, reported EPS was slightly below consensus in the company’s earnings release. Brinker Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates, Revenues Beat on Chili’s Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s fiscal 2027 outlook calls for $12.60-$13.40 in EPS, supported in part by an extra 53rd operating week. Continued Chili’s traffic gains, restaurant reimages and cost control will determine whether the company can meet or exceed that guidance. EAT’s Fiscal 2027 Guidance Gets a Boost From the 53rd Operating Week
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms raised their price targets following the results, including Bank of America to $310 with a Buy rating, Stephens to $300, Citi to $282, Wells Fargo to $280 and KeyCorp to $275. These revisions reflect increased confidence in Chili’s execution and earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brinker’s stock has risen 28.7% over the past month and reached a new 52-week high, raising expectations. Investors may now require continued traffic growth, margin delivery and guidance execution for further upside. EAT Jumps 28.7% in a Month
• Negative Sentiment: Northcoast Research downgraded EAT from Buy to Neutral, signaling that the recent rally may have priced in much of the expected improvement.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag elevated valuation, inflation and labor-cost risks, while Maggiano’s slower turnaround could limit consolidated growth. These concerns are contributing to profit-taking despite the favorable operating trends. Is EAT a Buy Now as Chili’s Growth Meets Cost and Valuation Risks?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $220.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $204.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Northcoast Research lowered shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.35.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $237.42 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $186.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.73. The stock has a market cap of $10.18 billion, a PE ratio of 21.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $100.30 and a 52-week high of $253.71.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%.The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 13.19 earnings per share for the current year.

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.