Stifel Nicolaus Issues Positive Forecast for Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price upped by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $120.00 to $155.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price indicates a potential upside of 11.92% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on EAT. Barclays raised their price objective on Brinker International from $95.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $95.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Bank Of America (Bofa) upped their price objective on Brinker International from $94.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Raymond James cut shares of Brinker International from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Brinker International from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $105.28.

Brinker International Stock Down 0.7 %

EAT stock traded down $1.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $138.49. 308,126 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 855,274. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $127.58 and its 200-day moving average is $92.74. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $37.25 and a 12 month high of $142.47. The company has a market cap of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.78, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 2.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.26. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. Brinker International’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 5.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Brinker International news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.02, for a total value of $386,634.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 23,071 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,376,774.42. The trade was a 13.99 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Brinker International by 123.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 1,265.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 1,884 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 1,746 shares in the last quarter. Burford Brothers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Parametrica Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $209,000. Finally, Xponance Inc. bought a new position in Brinker International in the second quarter valued at approximately $202,000.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands.