Brinker International, Inc. $EAT Shares Sold by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC trimmed its holdings in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 21.4% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 28,122 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 7,644 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $4,724,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,819,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $691,680,000 after purchasing an additional 73,346 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in Brinker International by 103.2% during the 4th 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. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 27.7% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $176,542,000 after purchasing an additional 301,912 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 667.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,142,263 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,938,000 after purchasing an additional 993,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 96.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,137,863 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $163,306,000 after buying an additional 558,799 shares during the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Optimistic fiscal 2027 guidance: Brinker forecast adjusted EPS of $12.60–$13.40, above the $12.47 analyst consensus, and revenue of $6.2–$6.3 billion versus expectations of approximately $6.1 billion. Brinker fiscal 2026 results and fiscal 2027 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Continued Chili’s sales momentum: Chili’s recorded its fifth consecutive year of same-store sales growth, with cumulative gains reaching 71% over that period. New chicken-sandwich offerings are helping the casual-dining chain compete for fast-food customers and drive sales. Chili’s chicken-sandwich sales gains
• Positive Sentiment: Improved financial performance and shareholder returns: Fourth-quarter revenue increased 5.1% year over year to $1.54 billion, ahead of the $1.53 billion consensus, while EPS rose from $2.30 to $3.07. Brinker also highlighted expanded share repurchases and plans to grow its digital ordering and takeout business. Brinker share buybacks and growth update
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support increased: TD Cowen raised its price target to $270 and assigned a Buy rating, while Bank of America reiterated Buy and UBS lifted its target to $260, reflecting confidence in the company’s growth outlook. Analyst price-target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Fourth-quarter earnings were mixed: EPS of $3.07 was slightly below the $3.10 consensus used by some analysts, although other estimates characterized the result as in line. The modest miss was offset by the revenue beat and stronger forward guidance. Brinker quarterly earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: With EAT trading near its 52-week high and at an elevated earnings multiple, investors may expect continued execution and additional growth opportunities to justify the valuation. Brinker valuation analysis

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on EAT. Stephens started coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research report on Friday, July 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $220.00 price target for the company. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $177.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $189.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $199.75.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $244.50 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $182.95 and a 200-day moving average of $159.65. The company has a market cap of $10.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $252.52.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 123.22% and a net margin of 8.07%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 10.76 earnings per share for the current year.

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.