At a glance
Brinker International Inc is worth $9.17B, about 20 times its fiscal 2026 earnings. Revenue grew 7.9% to $5.81B in fiscal 2026, with 8.4% kept as profit; over 5 years it has grown 11.7% a year. It pays no dividend; it spent $665.8M buying back its shares over FY2022–FY2026. The stock returned +77.6% over the past year with dividends reinvested and +39.0% a year over five years, against +11.5% and +11.7% for the S&P 500. At its worst it fell 81.0% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 49.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 5 months and 18 months after the lows.
The business in plain English
Brinker International, based in Dallas, owns, runs and franchises two casual-dining chains (sit-down restaurants with table service at moderate prices): Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy. Chili's is the flagship. Its menu centers on five core items: burgers, fajitas, Chicken Crispers, margaritas and the Triple Dipper. Value deals such as "3 for Me," starting at $10.99, back up that menu. Maggiano's serves Italian American food a la carte and family style, and uses banquet rooms for parties and holiday events.
Brinker runs most of its restaurants itself. As of June 24, 2026, it owned 1,163, including 1,110 Chili's in the US and 49 Maggiano's. In fiscal 2026, which ended that day, a company-owned Chili's averaged $5.0 million in sales, about $23.12 per guest. A Maggiano's averaged $9.5 million, about $41.36 per guest. Franchisees, independent owners who license a brand, ran another 472 restaurants and pay Brinker fees and royalties based on their sales.
Chili's also operates in 28 other countries and two US territories. Franchisees ran 98.9% of its international restaurants but only 8.2% of its US ones, and growth abroad comes through franchise partners. Brinker describes its business as relying heavily on Chili's. Total revenue was $5.81 billion in fiscal 2026, up 7.9%, and net income was $487 million.
Price history
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EAT +77.6% over the year to Oct 28, 2026, total return with dividends reinvested.
Latest results
- In Q1 FY2027 (ended Sep 23, 2026), revenue was $1.48B, up 9.4% from a year earlier, and net income was $113.3M (+13.9%).
- For fiscal 2026, revenue was $5.81B (+7.9% year over year; +11.7% a year from FY2021 to FY2026) with a 8.4% net margin.
Financial health check
| Revenue growth a year (FY2021–FY2026) | +11.7% good |
|---|---|
| Operating margin | 10.7% watch |
| Free cash flow margin | 9.6% watch |
| Return on equity (FY2026) | 109.8% (lifted by a small equity base, often the result of years of buybacks) good |
| Return on assets (FY2026) | 17.3% good |
| Net cash (cash minus debt) | $-454.1M weak |
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Net income | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | $3.34B | $131.6M | $275.7M |
| FY2022 | $3.80B | $117.6M | $101.9M |
| FY2023 | $4.13B | $102.6M | $71.4M |
| FY2024 | $4.42B | $155.3M | $223.0M |
| FY2025 | $5.38B | $383.1M | $413.7M |
| FY2026 | $5.81B | $487.0M | $557.5M |
Valuation snapshot
| Market value | $9.17B |
|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 20.3 |
| Dividend yield | 0% |
Rank among 1514 US companies
Market value at each year end
Brinker International’s market value went from $2.46B at the end of 2016 to $9.17B on Oct 28, 2026, about 3.7 times as much; since the end of 2025 it is up 44%.
Show as a table
| Year end | Market value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | $9.17B | +43.8% |
| 2025 | $6.38B | +8.5% |
| 2024 | $5.88B | +207.9% |
| 2023 | $1.91B | +35.8% |
| 2022 | $1.41B | -15.5% |
| 2021 | $1.66B | -35.1% |
| 2020 | $2.56B | +63.2% |
| 2019 | $1.57B | -7.5% |
| 2018 | $1.70B | -5.6% |
| 2017 | $1.80B | -26.9% |
| 2016 | $2.46B |
Price behavior
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAT price data to Oct 28, 2026 | +53.8% | +77.6% | +88.9% | +39.0% | +18.0% |
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +53.8% |
| 2025 | +8.5% |
| 2024 | +206.4% |
| 2023 | +35.3% |
| 2022 | -12.8% |
| 2021 | -35.3% |
| 2020 | +36.3% |
| 2019 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | +17.2% |
| 2017 | -18.4% |
| 2016 | +6.0% |
| 2015 | -16.4% |
| 2014 | +29.2% |
| 2013 | +52.8% |
| 2012 | +18.5% |
| 2011 | +31.5% |
| 2010 | +44.0% |
| 2009 | +46.1% |
| 2008 | -44.2% |
| 2007 | -34.2% |
| 2006 | +17.8% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 62.3% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 85.6%, back to its old high 28.3 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 73.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 81%, back to its old high 5.3 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 31.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 49.2%, back to its old high 17.9 months after the low |
Insider activity
Form 4 filings from 2025-10-31 to 2026-10-31 (25 read): 0 open-market purchases and 6 sales ($15.7M), 2 of them under pre-arranged 10b5-1 trading plans.
| Date | Insider | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | Kevin Hochman Pres. & CEO, Director | sell (plan) | $8.8M |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Joseph Michael DePinto Director | sell | $5.8M |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Michaela M Ware EVP, Chief Financial Officer | sell | $707K |
| Sep 9, 2026 | James C Katzman Director | sell (plan) | $143K |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Frances L. Allen Director | sell | $117K |
Who owns it
Large shareholders (13G filings)
| FMR LLC | 15% | Mar 31, 2026 |
| BlackRock, Inc. | 12.6% | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Vanguard Portfolio Management | 5.74% | Mar 31, 2026 |
| Vanguard Capital Management | 5.22% | Mar 31, 2026 |
| THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC. | 4.2% | Dec 31, 2024 |
ETFs with the most weight in EAT
| PSCD Invesco S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary ETF | 4.22% |
| XSMO Invesco S&P SmallCap Momentum ETF | 3.01% |
| PEJ Invesco Leisure and Entertainment ETF | 2.97% |
| PSC Principal U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 1.58% |
| HAPS Harbor Human Capital Factor US Small Cap ETF | 1.35% |
| VIOG Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF | 1.08% |
| SLYG SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF | 1.07% |
| IJT iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF | 1.06% |
What could go wrong
- Almost everything rides on Chili's. Brinker says its business relies heavily on Chili's. Bad publicity at even one or a few Chili's restaurants can spread fast on social media and could hurt the whole brand and company results.
- Remodel and expansion plans must pay off. Chili's aims to remodel about 60 to 80 restaurants in fiscal 2027, then about 10% of the fleet each year, while building a pipeline of new sites. That takes capital and may not pay off.
- Rising costs could squeeze profits. Chili's leans on low-price deals such as "3 for Me" to bring in guests. Inflation, energy prices, trade-policy changes, supply shortages and new labor laws can all raise operating costs, leaving less room for profit.
- Changing diets and weight-loss drugs. New dietary guidelines, health trends and weight-management medications may lead people to eat out less or order less. Brinker may not predict these shifts or change its menu fast enough.
- Food safety scares. A report of food-borne illness or contamination at any Brinker or franchised restaurant, accurate or not, could drive guests away and bring lawsuits or regulatory action.
- Diners cut back in hard times. Eating out is easy to cut when money is tight. Economic or geopolitical trouble can reduce visits. Because many company-owned restaurants sit in certain states, regional slowdowns can hit harder.
Recent events
- Quarterly results released
- Investor presentation or announcement
- Quarterly results released; Other company announcement
- Other company announcement
- Quarterly results released
- Executive or board change
- Quarterly results released
- Shareholder vote results
For income and retirement investors
Brinker pays no dividend; its yield was 0% as of October 28, 2026. Token payments of about 3 cents a share in fiscal 2021 shrank to zero by fiscal 2025. For an income investor, that means returns come only from the share price, and raising cash means selling shares. Instead, Brinker buys back its own stock, which spreads future profits over fewer shares. It spent $665.8 million on buybacks from fiscal 2022 through 2026, including $443.9 million in fiscal 2026, and the share count fell 8.5% between October 2021 and October 2026.
The shares have swung hard in downturns. They fell 85.6% from peak to low in the 2008 financial crisis and took until April 2011 to recover. They dropped 81% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered by August 2020. They lost 49.2% in the 2022 bear market and recovered by December 2023. A single stock carries more risk than a diversified fund.
Questions investors ask
How does Brinker International make money?
By running and franchising restaurants. Brinker owns the Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy brands. As of June 24, 2026, it operated 1,163 company-owned restaurants, including 1,110 Chili's in the US. It also earned fees and royalties from 472 franchised locations run by independent owners. Revenue was $5.81 billion in the fiscal year ended June 24, 2026, up 7.9% from the year before, and net income was $487 million.
Does Brinker International (EAT) pay a dividend?
No. Brinker pays no dividend, and its yield was 0% as of October 28, 2026. It made no dividend payments in fiscal 2025 or fiscal 2026. Instead, the company returns cash by buying back its own shares, and it spent $443.9 million on repurchases in fiscal 2026 alone. Investors who rely on portfolio income would get none from this stock and would need to sell shares to raise cash.
Is Brinker International growing?
Yes, in revenue and profit. Revenue rose from $3.34 billion in fiscal 2021 to $5.81 billion in fiscal 2026, an average gain of 11.7% a year. Diluted earnings per share (profit per share) climbed from $2.83 to $10.87 over the same span. In the quarter ended September 23, 2026, revenue grew 9.4% to $1.48 billion and net income rose 13.9%. The restaurant count barely moved: company-owned locations went from 1,162 to 1,163 during fiscal 2026.
How has Brinker (EAT) stock performed?
Very strongly, with sharp swings. As of October 28, 2026, the share price had risen 77.6% over one year, 574% over three years and 418% over five years. It jumped 206% in calendar 2024 and 53.8% in 2026 through October 28. The ride has been rough, though. The stock fell as much as 28.1% within the latest year, and its worst peak-to-low drop in more than 21 years of price history was 88.4%.
How much debt does Brinker International have?
About $484.8 million as of September 23, 2026, against $30.7 million in cash and investments. Shareholders' equity, the accounting value left after subtracting liabilities from assets, was only $399.9 million. That thin equity base makes return on equity (profit divided by equity) look unusually high, at 109.8% in fiscal 2026. Brinker's 10-K warns that a credit rating downgrade could make it harder to raise capital and hurt its finances.