Raymond James Financial Inc. Takes $6.51 Million Position in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 49,187 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $6,507,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned 0.11% of Brinker International at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Brinker International by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Brinker International by 123.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 309 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $83,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Brinker International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $146,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on EAT shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Brinker International from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $190.00 to $165.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Brinker International from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brinker International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $142.53.

Brinker International Stock Performance

Brinker International stock opened at $158.45 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $148.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $136.07. Brinker International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $46.95 and a 52 week high of $192.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.46, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.96.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Brinker International

In related news, Director Cindy L. Davis sold 5,802 shares of Brinker International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.86, for a total transaction of $1,089,963.72. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,086,561.02. The trade was a 34.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were 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 $6,435,950.80. This trade represents a 17.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 20,802 shares of company stock worth $3,752,464 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.72% of the company’s stock.

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.