Wedbush Issues Positive Forecast for Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price hoisted by Wedbush from $140.00 to $185.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wedbush’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 3.01% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on EAT. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Brinker International from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $124.33.

Brinker International Stock Up 16.2 %

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $179.59 on Thursday. Brinker International has a twelve month low of $40.12 and a twelve month high of $181.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $136.99 and its 200 day moving average is $100.66. The company has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Brinker International will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Brinker International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 998,278 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $76,413,000 after buying an additional 8,105 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Brinker International by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 691,230 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $52,900,000 after acquiring an additional 28,373 shares in the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $81,888,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 55.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 618,728 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $47,351,000 after purchasing an additional 219,836 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of Brinker International by 2,612.4% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 588,594 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $77,865,000 after purchasing an additional 566,894 shares during the period.

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.