KBC Group NV Purchases 589 Shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

KBC Group NV boosted its position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) by 46.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,844 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 589 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Brinker International were worth $244,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EAT. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Brinker International by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 998,278 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $76,413,000 after buying an additional 8,105 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Brinker International by 4.3% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 691,230 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $52,900,000 after acquiring an additional 28,373 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth $81,888,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Brinker International by 55.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 618,728 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $47,351,000 after acquiring an additional 219,836 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Brinker International by 2,612.4% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 588,594 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $77,865,000 after purchasing an additional 566,894 shares during the period.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $187.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.54. Brinker International, Inc. has a one year low of $42.99 and a one year high of $192.22. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $141.60 and its 200-day moving average is $104.29.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The restaurant operator reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $1.43. Brinker International had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 879.47%. Equities analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brinker International

In other news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. This represents a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.72% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley raised Brinker International from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Friday, December 20th. StockNews.com upgraded Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Brinker International from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $162.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brinker International has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.18.

About Brinker International

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.