Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Cut to $270.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price objective reduced by investment analysts at Citigroup from $282.00 to $270.00 in a report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup’s price target indicates a potential upside of 36.93% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 price target for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Raymond James Financial raised Brinker International from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $270.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Brinker International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Brinker International from $190.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Brinker International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.76.

Brinker International Trading Down 3.4%

EAT traded down $6.96 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $197.18. 1,332,969 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,187,246. The company has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a PE ratio of 18.11, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $216.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $181.23. Brinker International has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $254.99.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). Brinker International had a return on equity of 122.35% and a net margin of 8.39%. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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 analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brinker International news, EVP Aaron M. White sold 16,220 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total value of $3,831,488.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,099,822.32. This represents a 27.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Kevin Hochman sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.15, for a total transaction of $9,726,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 144,090 shares in the company, valued at $35,035,483.50. The trade was a 21.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690 over the last ninety days. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 18.0% in the 2nd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 63,795 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,718,000 after purchasing an additional 9,733 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,258,000. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,710,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Brinker International by 37.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 242,648 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $34,643,000 after buying an additional 66,383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cynosure Group LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $766,000.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker’s principal brands are Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.