Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Given New $150.00 Price Target at Barclays

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price target hoisted by Barclays from $143.00 to $150.00 in a report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on EAT. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Brinker International in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $70.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Argus upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered Brinker International from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating and set a $115.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $109.45.

Brinker International Stock Down 3.2 %

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $149.63 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $134.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.39. The company has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $39.11 and a 1 year high of $155.13. 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 quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.10 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 4.11% and a negative return on equity of 839.19%. Brinker International’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 23,071 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,376,774.42. This trade represents a 13.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.72% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 123.9% in 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. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth about $83,000. Xponance Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $202,000. Finally, Burford Brothers Inc. bought a new position in Brinker International in the third quarter worth about $203,000.

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.