Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Down 5.6% – Time to Sell?

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) fell 5.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $136.62 and last traded at $137.48. 161,698 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,399,031 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.61.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Northcoast Research upgraded Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $215.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Brinker International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Argus raised Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.18.

Brinker International Stock Down 8.8 %

The company’s 50 day moving average is $155.44 and its 200 day moving average is $120.78. The company has a market cap of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 23.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. As a group, analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total transaction of $1,409,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 34,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,435,950.80. The trade was a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total value 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. The trade was a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Highview Capital Management LLC DE increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 13,557 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,793,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $203,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 123,349 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,318,000 after acquiring an additional 22,535 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 110.1% in the 4th quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 38,737 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,125,000 after purchasing an additional 20,302 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twinbeech Capital LP grew its position in Brinker International by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Twinbeech Capital LP now owns 69,201 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $9,155,000 after acquiring an additional 10,844 shares during the period.

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.