JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe downgraded Brinker International to Neutral and lowered his price target for the shares to $44 from $48. The analyst expects higher spending and weak industry trends to offset any possible sales improvement. He calls the stock a "value trap."

Evercore ISI raised the firm's price target on Brinker to $50 from $48 and keeps an In Line rating on the shares. After a weather impaired January and February, the firm had hoped for a mid-quarter acceleration in restaurant industry same-store sales growth, but "trends remained lackluster," the analyst tells investors in a Q1 preview for the group. The firm estimates fast food industry same-store sales growth of 1.5% in Q1 and a casual dining segment same-store sales decline of 1%, noting that it recently lowered top-line forecasts for much of its coverage because of the sluggish trends lately.