5,612 Shares in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Bought by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 5,612 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $429,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in EAT. Centiva Capital LP raised its position in Brinker International by 225.4% in the third quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 16,643 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,274,000 after acquiring an additional 11,529 shares in the last quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth $290,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $414,000. Maverick Capital Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 147.4% in the third quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 109,171 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $8,355,000 after purchasing an additional 65,051 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 28.4% during the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 13,022 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $997,000 after buying an additional 2,883 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Brinker International from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upped their target price on Brinker International from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Bank Of America (Bofa) lifted their price target on Brinker International from $94.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $94.63.

Brinker International Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE:EAT traded up $2.93 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $134.26. The company had a trading volume of 2,094,700 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,419,894. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.75, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 2.51. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $115.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.26. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $37.25 and a one year high of $136.15.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.26. Brinker International had a net margin of 4.11% and a negative return on equity of 839.19%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. The company's revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Brinker International, Inc. will post 5.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, CFO Michaela M. Ware sold 3,753 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.02, for a total value of $386,634.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 23,071 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,376,774.42. This trade represents a 13.99 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by 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.