Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Stock Price Down 6.4% – Should You Sell?

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)’s share price fell 6.4% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $145.51 and last traded at $144.53. 183,205 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 1,393,339 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.39.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Brinker International from $108.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Northcoast Research raised shares of Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $215.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $140.18.

Brinker International Stock Down 4.8 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 25.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $156.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $126.13.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its 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 return on equity of 879.47% and a net margin of 5.45%. Equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In related news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.90, for a total value of $1,409,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 34,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,435,950.80. This represents a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total value of $1,089,963.72. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 11,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This trade represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 20,802 shares of company stock worth $3,752,464 in the last ninety days. 1.72% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Brinker International by 123.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at $83,000.

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.