Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Down 6.4% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) were down 6.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $145.51 and last traded at $144.53. Approximately 183,205 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 1,393,339 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on EAT shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. 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 research note on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Brinker International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upgraded 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 research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, KeyCorp downgraded shares of Brinker International from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating and set a $115.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $140.18.

Brinker International Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $156.67 and a 200-day moving average of $127.06. 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 capitalization of $6.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. As a group, research analysts anticipate 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 business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 34,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,435,950.80. This represents a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464 in the last 90 days. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. 111 Capital bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth about $584,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Brinker International by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $735,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE raised its holdings in Brinker International by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 13,557 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,793,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Brinker International by 22.4% in the fourth 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 purchasing an additional 22,535 shares in the last quarter.

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.