Hennessy Advisors Inc. Lowers Position in Brinker International, Inc. $EAT

Hennessy Advisors Inc. cut its stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 60,700 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 3,900 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. owned 0.14% of Brinker International worth $8,712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 155.2% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,464,389 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $185,509,000 after buying an additional 890,593 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 27.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,393,604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $176,542,000 after purchasing an additional 301,912 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 2.0% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 975,039 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $123,541,000 after purchasing an additional 18,935 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 58.6% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 932,954 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $118,187,000 after purchasing an additional 344,539 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Brinker International by 104.9% during the third quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 878,584 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $111,299,000 after purchasing an additional 449,871 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Activity at Brinker International

In related news, Director Ramona Hood sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $64,528.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,462,527.12. This trade represents a 4.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CMO George S. Felix sold 10,431 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $1,679,391.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 8,064 shares in the company, valued at $1,298,304. This represents a 56.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 97,678 shares of company stock valued at $15,700,372 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Brinker International Price Performance

Shares of EAT opened at $158.22 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $148.34 and a 200 day moving average of $142.87. Brinker International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $100.30 and a twelve month high of $187.12.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The restaurant operator reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 134.92%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.80 earnings per share. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.045-10.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EAT. KeyCorp raised shares of Brinker International from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $177.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Brinker International in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Brinker International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $185.68.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.