Hennessy Advisors Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Hennessy Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 6.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,700 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 3,900 shares during the quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $8,712,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. 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 worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 1.1% in the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 12,791 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,620,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 2.2% in the third quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 7,119 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $902,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 116.0% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 337 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 1.5% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,153 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,666,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $158.22 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $148.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $142.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a PE ratio of 16.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $100.30 and a 1-year high of $187.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.31.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.80 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In related news, EVP Aaron M. White sold 7,000 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total transaction of $1,155,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,054,740. The trade was a 14.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Harriet Edelman sold 8,400 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total transaction of $1,335,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,004 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,339,636. This trade represents a 28.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 97,678 shares of company stock worth $15,700,372. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on EAT. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $177.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $192.00 to $188.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $185.68.

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.