Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Price Target Raised to $208.00 at The Goldman Sachs Group

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) had its target price raised by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $162.00 to $208.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 15.40% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on EAT. Bank Of America (Bofa) raised their price target on Brinker International from $94.00 to $97.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Wedbush lifted their target price on Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup lifted their target price on Brinker International from $83.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Brinker International from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Brinker International from $69.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $130.23.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EAT traded up $0.46 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $180.25. The company had a trading volume of 541,846 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,212,087. The stock has a market cap of $8.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.02, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 2.52. Brinker International has a 12 month low of $40.50 and a 12 month high of $184.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.54, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $136.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $100.66.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a negative return on equity of 839.19% and a net margin of 4.11%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EAT. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 23.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 272,822 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,879,000 after buying an additional 51,927 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the third quarter valued at $5,330,000. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 399.9% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,102 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,845,000 after buying an additional 19,281 shares in the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter valued at $941,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the third quarter valued at $2,273,000.

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.