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

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its price objective hoisted by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $155.00 to $170.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price points to a potential upside of 9.42% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Argus raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Citigroup raised their target price on Brinker International from $83.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Brinker International from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the company from $67.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $62.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.29.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.3 %

NYSE EAT opened at $155.36 on Monday. Brinker International has a one year low of $39.39 and a one year high of $155.55. The business’s fifty day moving average is $135.89 and its 200-day moving average is $100.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.89, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.26. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Brinker International news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.02, for a total transaction of $386,634.06. Following the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.72% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position 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 worth $20,879,000 after purchasing an additional 51,927 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter valued at $5,330,000. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 399.9% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,102 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,845,000 after purchasing an additional 19,281 shares during the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new position in Brinker International in the 3rd quarter worth about $941,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new stake in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,273,000.

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.