Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Down 5.6% – What’s Next?

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)’s stock price fell 5.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $136.62 and last traded at $137.48. 161,698 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,399,031 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.61.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Brinker International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $115.00 in a report on Friday, December 20th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.18.

Brinker International Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $155.33 and a 200 day moving average of $121.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a PE ratio of 24.15, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total value of $1,089,963.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total value of $1,409,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 34,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,435,950.80. The trade was a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 20,802 shares of company stock worth $3,752,464 over the last ninety days. 1.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter worth about $410,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 23.5% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,879,000 after acquiring an additional 51,927 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $661,000. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $280,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,330,000.

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.