Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $127.35 and last traded at $127.35, with a volume of 2612 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $125.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on EAT. Raymond James downgraded Brinker International from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Brinker International from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Brinker International from $83.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $86.45.

Brinker International Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $96.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.87. The stock has a market cap of $5.80 billion, a PE ratio of 31.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 2.46.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.26. The firm 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 quarterly revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.28 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of Brinker International 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 23,071 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,376,774.42. The trade was a 13.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 96.2% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 33.2% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 986 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 1,265.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 1,884 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $136,000 after purchasing an additional 1,746 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Brinker International by 1,111.8% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,266 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 2,079 shares during the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $166,000.

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.