Advisory Services Network LLC Takes $856,000 Position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Advisory Services Network LLC acquired 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 disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 6,467 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $856,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 123.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth about $83,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at about $126,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $146,000.

Brinker International Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE EAT traded up $2.95 on Friday, reaching $153.28. 1,061,448 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,453,143. The company has a 50 day moving average of $148.81 and a 200 day moving average of $135.31. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $45.52 and a fifty-two week high of $192.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.81 billion, a PE ratio of 26.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share 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%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.10, for a total value of $1,253,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 26,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,470,259.20. This trade represents a 21.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464. Company insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on EAT shares. Argus raised Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered Brinker International from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating and set a $115.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $144.47.

Brinker International 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.