KeyCorp Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price raised by stock analysts at KeyCorp from $100.00 to $115.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. KeyCorp’s price target suggests a potential upside of 9.59% from the company’s current price.

EAT has been the subject of a number of other reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Brinker International from $70.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Argus downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 target price on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $69.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $84.19.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.2 %

EAT stock opened at $104.94 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 2.51. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $33.03 and a 52-week high of $107.15. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $81.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.98.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 4.11% and a negative return on equity of 839.19%. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 4.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 23,071 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,376,774.42. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.72% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 8.5% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 14,190 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $705,000 after buying an additional 1,111 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Brinker International by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 37,120 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,343 shares during the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management bought a new stake in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp grew its position in Brinker International by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 38,707 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,264 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Duality Advisers LP bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 1st quarter worth about $323,000.

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.