Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Rating Upgraded by Northcoast Research

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Northcoast Research from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $215.00 price target on the restaurant operator's stock. Northcoast Research's price objective indicates a potential upside of 18.09% from the company's previous close.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Brinker International in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Brinker International from $83.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday. Raymond James lowered shares of Brinker International from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Brinker International from $143.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $130.23.

Brinker International Stock Up 1.3 %

EAT traded up $2.27 during trading on Thursday, hitting $182.06. The stock had a trading volume of 1,315,918 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,253,067. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $136.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $100.66. The company has a market capitalization of $8.09 billion, a PE ratio of 44.56, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.32. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $40.50 and a twelve month high of $184.19.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. On average, research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Brinker International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at about $434,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth $265,000. Savant Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 3,274 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $433,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 20.8% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 4,248 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $562,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR acquired a new position in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth about $661,000.

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.