Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Short Interest Update

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,380,000 shares, an increase of 26.2% from the March 31st total of 5,850,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,320,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.6 days. Currently, 17.0% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of EAT traded up $3.96 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $53.62. The company had a trading volume of 3,762,079 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,322,423. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $28.23 and a 1 year high of $54.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 2.46. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.82.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.05. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.63% and a negative return on equity of 113.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.08 billion. Equities analysts predict that Brinker International will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on EAT. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Brinker International from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Barclays raised their price objective on Brinker International from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.81.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Joseph G. Taylor sold 24,163 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.97, for a total value of $1,086,610.11. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 56,661 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,548,045.17. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EAT. TFO Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Brinker International by 64,800.0% in the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 649 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 648 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 3,611.1% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 668 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 650 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 68.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 946 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in Brinker International by 100.0% in the third quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter.

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.