Nilsine Partners LLC Buys 344 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Nilsine Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 13.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,966 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 344 shares during the period. Nilsine Partners LLC’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $392,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Brinker International by 46.9% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,844 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 589 shares during the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at $242,000. Atomi Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth $304,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in Brinker International by 1,145.2% in the 4th quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 416,044 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $55,038,000 after acquiring an additional 382,633 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $81,888,000.

Brinker International Stock Performance

NYSE EAT opened at $179.59 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.32. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $40.12 and a 52-week high of $181.09. The company has a fifty day moving average of $136.99 and a 200-day moving average of $100.66.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 5.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EAT shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $143.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Brinker International in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $70.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Friday, December 20th. KeyCorp cut Brinker International from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on Brinker International from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.29.

Brinker International 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.