Empowered Funds LLC Sells 18,178 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Empowered Funds LLC lowered its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT - Free Report) by 26.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,466 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 18,178 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned about 0.12% of Brinker International worth $6,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EAT. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 27.6% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 22,925 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,660,000 after buying an additional 4,958 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 16.1% in the third quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 8,258 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $632,000 after buying an additional 1,146 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 39.6% in the third quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 33,411 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,557,000 after buying an additional 9,474 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. bought a new stake in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Brinker International by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 113,946 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $8,720,000 after purchasing an additional 12,800 shares during the period.

Brinker International Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of Brinker International stock traded down $1.66 on Friday, reaching $158.55. The company had a trading volume of 1,483,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,387,143. The firm has a market cap of $7.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $147.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.57. Brinker International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $43.37 and a 1 year high of $192.21.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. As a group, research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Brinker International from $166.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Argus raised Brinker International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Bank Of America (Bofa) lifted their target price on Brinker International from $94.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $140.18.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In related news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the business's 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 owns 26,752 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,470,259.20. The trade was a 21.90 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 20,802 shares of company stock worth $3,752,464. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.