For most investors, how much a stock's price changes over time is important. This factor can impact your investment portfolio as well as help you compare investment results across sectors and industries.
Another thing that can drive investing is the fear of missing out, or FOMO. This particularly applies to tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.
What if you'd invested in Brinker International (EAT) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to EAT for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?
Brinker International's Business In-Depth
With that in mind, let's take a look at Brinker International's main business drivers.
Based in Dallas, TX, Brinker International owns, operates, develops and franchises various restaurants under Chili’s Grill & Bar (Chili’s) and Maggiano’s Little Italy (Maggiano’s) brands. The company took over Chili’s, Inc., a Texas-based corporation, in September 1983 and completed the acquisition of Maggiano’s in August 1995.
Chili’s is a preeminent leader in the bar & grill category of casual dining. The brand has been functioning for over the last 40 years. With a global presence in 31 countries and two territories outside the United States, the brand features a typical American menu. It is known for gourmet burgers, sizzling fajitas, baby back ribs and hand-shaken margaritas. In the fiscal 2018, Brinker relaunched its My Chili’s Rewards program and began offering free chips and salsa or soft drinks to members at every visit.
Maggiano’s is a full-service, national, casual dining Italian restaurant brand featuring individual and family-style menus and most restaurants. The brand also has extensive banquet facilities designed to host large party business or social events. The menu features a classic Italian-American range of appetizers and entrees, with portions of pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, prime steaks and desserts.
During fiscal 2024, Chili’s contributed 88.8% to total revenues, while Maggiano’s contributed 11.2%. As of Dec. 25, 2024, the company owned, operated or franchised 1,624 restaurants. Among these, 1,571 were Chili's and the remaining 53 were Maggiano's units.
Bottom Line
Anyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio requires research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in Brinker International ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today.
According to our calculations, a $1000 investment made in May 2015 would be worth $2,942.27, or a 194.23% gain, as of May 28, 2025. Investors should keep in mind that this return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation.
The S&P 500 rose 176.90% and the price of gold increased 167.06% over the same time frame in comparison.
Analysts are anticipating more upside for EAT. Shares of Brinker have outperformed its industry in the past year. Recently, the company reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company's quarterly performance benefited from strong fundamentals, leading to better guest experience and steady business growth. The ongoing increase in traffic continues to drive the company’s performance. Also, focus on menu adjustments bodes well. The company intends to focus on balancing value offerings with margin expansion and adaptability to changing consumer preferences to drive growth. For the coming year, Brinker will look for more ways to offer convenience, value and a great guest experience by doubling its pipeline of new restaurant openings and expanding portfolio of brands.
Shares have gained 20.62% over the past four weeks and there have been 8 higher earnings estimate revisions for fiscal 2025 compared to none lower. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.
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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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