Short Interest in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Rises By 7.1%

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) was the target of a large growth in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,410,000 shares, a growth of 7.1% from the December 31st total of 5,050,000 shares. Currently, 12.4% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,200,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.5 days.

Brinker International Stock Performance

EAT traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $188.43. 525,319 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,300,365. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a PE ratio of 32.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54. The company’s 50-day moving average is $140.46 and its 200 day moving average is $103.44. Brinker International has a 52 week low of $42.99 and a 52 week high of $192.22.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. On average, research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 8.33 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on EAT shares. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. 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 research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $62.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Argus raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, Raymond James downgraded shares of Brinker International from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.18.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in Brinker International by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 7,378 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $548,000 after buying an additional 1,557 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Brinker International by 4.5% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 23,765 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,025 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth $204,000. Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 2nd quarter worth about $322,000. Finally, Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 49.3% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 14,310 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,036,000 after buying an additional 4,723 shares in the last quarter.

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.