Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Friday.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on EAT. Bank Of America (Bofa) upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $94.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Brinker International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Argus raised shares of 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. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $140.18.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of EAT traded down $1.34 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $187.80. 1,128,938 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,328,815. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $42.99 and a 52-week high of $192.22. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $140.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.44. The company has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.55, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Brinker International by 23.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $20,879,000 after buying an additional 51,927 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the third quarter worth about $5,330,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 399.9% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,102 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,845,000 after purchasing an additional 19,281 shares during the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $941,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,273,000.

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.