Advisors Preferred LLC Makes New Investment in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 6,829 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $940,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 123.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $83,000. Burford Brothers Inc. acquired a new stake in Brinker International in the third quarter valued at $203,000. Finally, Parametrica Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter worth about $209,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EAT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Wedbush lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $140.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 $4,470,259.20. This trade represents a 21.90 % decrease in their position. 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,086,561.02. The trade was a 34.31 % 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 currently owned by insiders.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT stock traded down $0.23 on Wednesday, hitting $164.00. The company had a trading volume of 1,626,864 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,375,089. Brinker International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $42.99 and a twelve month high of $192.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $146.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.56.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.