Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Sells 365 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lowered its stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,657 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 365 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,674,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Brinker International by 123.9% during 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 stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $83,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $126,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 132.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $188,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the last quarter.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EAT opened at $141.60 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $155.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.56. Brinker International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $43.37 and a fifty-two week high of $192.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on EAT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Argus upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Barclays upped their price target on Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group upped their price target on Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Wedbush upped their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $140.18.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

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

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.