Brinker International Stock Sinks as Higher Costs Eat Into Earnings
Brinker International stock is spiraling Wednesday after the restaurant operator reported weak earnings results and provided a soft outlook.
Brinker International (EAT) stock is down nearly 13% Wednesday afternoon. The selloff comes after the parent company of Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy came up short of earnings expectations for its fiscal fourth quarter and issued a weak earnings outlook for its new fiscal year.
In the thirteen weeks ended June 26, Brinker's revenue increased 12.3% year-over-year to $1.2 billion, driven by same-restaurant sales rising 13.5%. Comparable sales at Chili's were up an impressive 14.8%. The company also said its earnings per share (EPS) rose 15.8% from the year-ago period to $1.61 and that operating expenses were up 11.7% to $1.14 billion.
"We achieved another quarter of solid progress against our strategy to deliver profitable, sustainable growth," said Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman in a statement. "We significantly outperformed the industry in both sales and traffic during the quarter, while maintaining record high guest metrics."
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The results were mixed compared with analysts' expectations. Wall Street was anticipating revenue of $1.16 billion and earnings of $1.72 per share, according to Yahoo Finance.
Sentiment worsened toward Brinker after the company provided its outlook for fiscal 2025. Brinker anticipates EPS to arrive between $4.35 to $4.75. The midpoint of this range, $4.55, is well short of the consensus analyst estimate of $4.78.
On a positive note, Brinker anticipates revenue in the range of $4.55 billion to $4.62 billion in fiscal 2025, which is ahead of the $4.53 billion in revenue analysts are anticipating.
Is Brinker stock a buy, sell or hold?
Heading into today's trading, Brinker was up an impressive 63% for the year to date. Yet, Wall Street is on the sidelines when it comes to the consumer discretionary stock.
According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the average analyst target price for EAT stock is $66.78, representing implied upside of more than 8% to current levels. Meanwhile, the consensus recommendation is Hold.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Joey Solitro is a freelance financial journalist at Kiplinger with more than a decade of experience. A longtime equity analyst, Joey has covered a range of industries for media outlets including The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Market Realist, and TipRanks. Joey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks End Mixed Ahead of Powell
Political upheaval in South Korea kept investors on their toes Tuesday.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Three Charitable Giving Strategies for High-Net-Worth Individuals
If you have $1 million or more saved for retirement, these charitable giving strategies can help you give efficiently and save on taxes.
By Joe F. Schmitz Jr., CFP®, ChFC® Published
-
The Wealth-Building Powers of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Health savings accounts could be the most underutilized wealth-building tool out there. Here’s who should use them and how to maximize their benefits.
By Eric Roberge, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Investment Adviser Published
-
Seven Ways to Be an Absolute Jerk as a Lawyer
Here's what law students need to know about damaging their relationships with other lawyers and judges and running up the bill for clients.
By H. Dennis Beaver, Esq. Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Are Positively Mixed to Open December
Technology led the way Monday as two of the three main equity indexes closed higher.
By David Dittman Published
-
The Best Retail Stocks to Buy This Holiday Season
E-commerce is a growing trend, but most folks still prefer to shop in stores. That makes these dominant retail stocks worth a closer look.
By Louis Navellier Published
-
One Good Way to Withdraw Retirement Assets (and a Bad One)
Don't withdraw retirement assets haphazardly. Managing distributions intentionally can lower your taxes, conserve your wealth and reduce Medicare premiums.
By Justin Haywood, CFP® Published
-
What Is Capital Gains Tax Deferral?
Spoiler alert: It's the secret weapon of savvy real estate investors. Here's how it works and details about the tools you need to do it.
By Daniel Goodwin Published