Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Raymond James Financial

Posted by Brian Himes on Oct 16th, 2026

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Raymond James Financial from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a $260.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Raymond James Financial’s target price suggests a potential upside of 27.15% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Brinker International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $270.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $166.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $227.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Brinker International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $249.33.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Brinker International

Brinker International Stock Performance

NYSE EAT opened at $204.49 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Brinker International has a 52-week low of $100.30 and a 52-week high of $254.99. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $216.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $180.76. The firm has a market cap of $8.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.25.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.09 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 122.35%. The business’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.30 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.600-13.400 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 13.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, EVP George Felix sold 14,349 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.47, for a total transaction of $3,407,457.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,293 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,494,398.71. This represents a 69.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Aaron White sold 16,220 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.22, for a total value of $3,831,488.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,099,822.32. This represents a 27.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 173,694 shares of company stock worth $41,568,690. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Brinker International by 33,000.0% during the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 2nd quarter worth $71,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 881.2% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 471 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $80,000.

About Brinker International

(Get Free Report)

Brinker International, Inc is a Dallas-based restaurant company that owns, operates and franchises casual dining establishments. Its portfolio is led by Chili’s Grill & Bar, a full-service restaurant brand known for burgers, steaks, fajitas, ribs and other American-style menu items, and Maggiano’s Little Italy, which specializes in Italian-American cuisine and operates both restaurants and catering services.

Brinker also developed It’s Just Wings, a virtual restaurant brand offering chicken wings, fries and related items through delivery and takeout.