Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $189.40 and last traded at $188.6950, with a volume of 952929 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $185.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on EAT. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $205.00 to $207.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, KeyCorp upgraded Brinker International from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $177.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $185.11.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.1%

The firm has a market cap of $8.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $152.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $151.62.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.85 by $0.05. The company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.60-10.850 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 10.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 103.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,975,655 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $427,066,000 after purchasing an additional 1,511,266 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $163,938,000 after acquiring an additional 993,435 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $83,603,000. Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,518,000. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,306,000 after acquiring an additional 558,799 shares in the last quarter.

Brinker International Company 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.