Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Shares Down 6.4% - Should You Sell?

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) shares dropped 6.4% during trading on Friday . The stock 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on EAT shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. KeyCorp lowered shares of Brinker International from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Brinker International from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $115.00 in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $140.18.

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Brinker International Trading Up 1.2 %

The company has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $156.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $127.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 EPS 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 analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In other news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on 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 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock valued at $3,752,464 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.72% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. 111 Capital purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $584,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 15.1% during the 4th 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 grew its holdings in Brinker International by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 13,557 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,793,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 22.4% during the 4th 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 buying an additional 22,535 shares during the period.

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.