Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Raised to $48.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price boosted by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $47.00 to $48.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.90% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on EAT. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $43.36.

Brinker International Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE EAT traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $44.90. 322,424 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,274,153. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $28.23 and a 12 month high of $51.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.17, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 2.46. The company has a 50 day moving average of $46.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.67.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.05. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.08 billion. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total transaction of $1,086,610.11. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $99,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 11.4% in the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 11,419 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 1,170 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,399,920 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $233,169,000 after purchasing an additional 30,861 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth about $875,000.

About Brinker International

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.