PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Buys 3,470 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 93.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,164 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,470 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC lifted its stake in Brinker International by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth $83,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter worth $126,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 132.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $188,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period.

Brinker International Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE EAT opened at $141.60 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.29 billion, a PE ratio of 24.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $43.37 and a 1-year high of $192.22. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $155.35 and a 200-day moving average of $122.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on EAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wedbush upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Argus upgraded shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $115.00 in a report on Friday, December 20th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $140.18.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director now owns 11,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock worth $3,752,464 in the last three months. 1.72% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.