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

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $270.00 to $277.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup‘s price target points to a potential upside of 26.25% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on EAT. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Brinker International from $175.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Freedom Broker raised Brinker International to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Brinker International from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Brinker International from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Brinker International from $224.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $249.80.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EAT traded down $1.33 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $219.41. The company had a trading volume of 1,730,885 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,205,894. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $210.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.06. The stock has a market cap of $9.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.25. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $254.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.32. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.17 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 13.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Joseph DePinto sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.39, for a total transaction of $5,759,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 77,812 shares in the company, valued at $17,927,106.68. The trade was a 24.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP George Felix sold 14,349 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total transaction of $3,407,457.03. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,494,398.71. The trade was a 69.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 173,694 shares of company stock valued at $41,568,690 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Virtue Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter worth about $1,112,000. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 14.4% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 7,089 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,372,000 after acquiring an additional 894 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 6.6% in the third quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 2,078 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $402,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al boosted its position in Brinker International by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 21,166 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,096,000 after purchasing an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Brinker International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,072,000.

Key Headlines Impacting Brinker International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Brinker reported fiscal Q1 adjusted EPS of $2.77, beating the $2.45 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.4% year over year to $1.48 billion, above the $1.46 billion forecast. EPS also increased from $2.17 a year earlier. Brinker fiscal 2027 first-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Chili’s remains the primary growth driver: The chain delivered its 22nd consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, with comparable sales up 10% despite lapping a 21% increase last year. Reports also highlighted a surge in Chili’s traffic, reinforcing investor confidence in the brand’s operating momentum. Brinker earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 guidance was raised: Management now expects adjusted EPS of $13.30 to $13.90, slightly above the approximately $13.28 FactSet consensus, signaling confidence that current sales and profitability trends can continue. Brinker fiscal 2027 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised targets across the board: Morgan Stanley increased its target to $262, Wells Fargo to $285, KeyCorp to $258, Robert W. Baird to $280 and TD Cowen to $270. Stephens reaffirmed its overweight rating with a $300 target. The upgrades and targets imply continued upside and reinforce the bullish reaction to the earnings report.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor consideration: Brinker’s strong recent performance raises expectations for sustained Chili’s traffic, comparable-sales growth and execution in upcoming quarters; any slowdown could make the stock more sensitive to valuation and guidance risks.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc is a casual-dining restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises restaurants in the United States and select international markets. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves customers through company-operated and franchised locations.

Brinker’s principal brands are Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s offers a broad menu of burgers, steaks, ribs, fajitas, Tex-Mex dishes, salads and beverages in a full-service, casual setting.