Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Reduces Position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,629 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 600 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $1,406,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in EAT. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 494.7% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,682 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 7,222 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter valued at $2,273,000. Radnor Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter valued at $341,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 23.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,879,000 after acquiring an additional 51,927 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International in the third quarter valued at $1,749,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wedbush lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Argus upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.18.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EAT opened at $164.58 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $153.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market cap of $7.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.52, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.54. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $43.37 and a 1 year high of $192.21.

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, 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%. Research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other Brinker International 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.10, for a total value of $1,253,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 26,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,470,259.20. The trade was a 21.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464. 1.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.