It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Brinker International (EAT). Shares have lost about 5.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Brinker International due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Brinker Q2 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates, Up Y/Y
Brinker reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increasing on a year-over-year basis. Revenues beat the consensus estimate for the eighth consecutive quarter.
Brinker’s Q2 Earnings & Revenue Discussion
In the quarter under review, Brinker reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.87, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53. The company reported an adjusted EPS of $2.8 in the prior-year quarter.
In the fiscal second quarter, total revenues of $1,452.2 million beat the consensus mark of $1,404 million. The top line increased 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.
Brinker’s Segmental Performance
Chili's
In the fiscal second quarter, revenues in the Chili’s segment rose 9% year over year to $1,317.3 million. The upside was driven by favorable comparable restaurant sales, due to menu pricing, higher traffic, and a favorable sales mix.
Chili's restaurant expenses (as a percentage of company sales) in the fiscal second quarter were 80.9% compared with 81.3% in the prior-year quarter. The downside was due to sales leverage. However, unfavorable menu item mix, higher hourly labor and manager salaries, advertising, repairs and maintenance, and other restaurant expenses somewhat offset this.
The segment’s company-owned comps rose 8.6% in the fiscal second quarter from the year-ago quarter’s levels. Chili's company-owned traffic gained 2.7% year over year in the quarter under discussion. The metric rose 19.9% in the prior-year quarter.
At Chili’s, domestic comps (including company-owned and franchised) increased 21.6% year over year compared with a gain of 30.8% reported in the prior-year period.
Maggiano’s
Maggiano’s revenues in the fiscal second quarter decreased 9.7% year over year to $134.9 million. Sales at Maggiano's mainly fell as a result of poor comparable restaurant sales brought on by fewer customers, which were somewhat offset by menu prices. Comps in the segment declined 2.4% year over year.
Traffic in the quarter under discussion fell 8.8% year over year, compared with a decrease of 4.9% reported in the prior-year period.
Maggiano's company restaurant expenses (as a percentage of company sales) in the fiscal second quarter were 84% compared with 77.3% a year ago. The upside was due to unfavorable menu mix and commodity costs, sales deleverage, higher delivery and to-go expenses, increased insurance costs and other operating expenses, partly offset by lower manager bonus spending.
Q2 Operating Results
In the quarter under review, adjusted restaurant operating margin, as a percentage of company sales, was 18.8% compared with 19.1% reported in the prior-year quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA in the fiscal second quarter came in at $223.5 million compared with $215.8 million reported in the prior-year quarter.
Balance Sheet
As of Dec. 24, 2025, Brinker’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to $15 million compared with $18.9 million as of June 25, 2025. Long-term debt was $451.3 million as of Dec. 24, 2025, compared with $426.3 million as of June 25, 2025.
Brinker’s FY26 Outlook Updated
For fiscal 2026, management now anticipates total revenues to be in the range of $5.76-$5.83 billion, up from $5.60-$5.70 billion expected earlier. Capital expenditures are now expected in the $250-$260 million band, lower than the prior $270-$290 million estimate. It now projects fiscal 2026 adjusted diluted EPS in the range of $10.45-$10.85, up from $9.90-$10.50 projected earlier.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM Scores
At this time, Brinker International has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a C. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a score of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Brinker International has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
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Brinker International, Inc. (EAT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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