Brinker International(US:EAT) Prnewswire·2025-10-29 10:45Core Insights - Brinker International reported strong financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with Chili's leading the way with a 21.4% increase in comparable restaurant sales, while overall company comparable restaurant sales rose by 18.8% [2][4]. Financial Performance - Company sales for Q1 fiscal 2026 reached $1,335.4 million, up from $1,127.3 million in Q1 fiscal 2025, representing a variance of $208.1 million [3]. - Total revenues increased to $1,349.2 million from $1,139.0 million, a rise of $210.2 million [3]. - Operating income was reported at $117.9 million, compared to $56.4 million in the previous year, with an operating income margin of 8.7% [3][10]. - Net income for the quarter was $99.5 million, significantly higher than $38.5 million in Q1 fiscal 2025 [3][18]. Segment Performance - Chili's generated sales of $1,236.2 million, up from $1,018.9 million, while Maggiano's saw a decline in traffic, impacting its sales [7][16]. - Chili's restaurant operating margin improved to 17.3%, up from 13.5% in the previous year, while Maggiano's experienced a decrease in its operating margin [9][29]. Comparable Restaurant Sales - Comparable restaurant sales for Brinker increased by 18.8%, with Chili's achieving a 21.4% increase, while Maggiano's faced a decline of 6.4% [4][21]. - The increase in comparable sales was attributed to higher traffic and menu pricing strategies [16][21]. Stock Repurchase and Investments - The company repurchased $92.0 million of its common stock during the quarter, reflecting confidence in its financial position [2][3]. Guidance for Fiscal 2026 - Brinker reiterated its full-year fiscal 2026 guidance, expecting total revenues between $5.60 billion and $5.70 billion, and net income per diluted share, excluding special items, in the range of $9.90 to $10.50 [5][8]. Restaurant Operations - As of September 24, 2025, Brinker operated a total of 1,630 restaurants, with 1,161 company-owned and 469 franchise locations [20]. - The company plans to open 32 to 38 new restaurants in fiscal 2026 [20]. Tax and Financial Metrics - The effective income tax rate for Q1 fiscal 2026 was 7.5%, lower than the statutory rate due to tax credits and benefits from stock-based compensation [10][18]. - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $172.4 million, up from $111.6 million in the prior year [3][31].