Brinker International (EAT) Tapped as Russell 2000 Pick; Xponential Fitness, Connection Avoided

A June 1, 2026, research note identified Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) as a Russell 2000 stock with potential upside, while flagging Xponential Fitness (NYSE:XPOF) and Connection (NASDAQ:CNXN) as names to avoid. Brinker, operator of Chili’s and Maggiano’s, traded at $142.34 with an 11.8x forward price-to-earnings ratio. Xponential Fitness, owner of boutique brands like Club Pilates and CycleBar, saw its stock at $5.50 and a 9.9x forward P/E but was downgraded to a sell. Connection, an IT solutions provider, fetched $69.60 per share and a 17.6x forward P/E, with analysts warning of better opportunities. Brinker’s market cap stood at $6.11 billion, compared to $229.9 million for Xponential and $1.76 billion for Connection, placing all three in the small-cap Russell 2000 index.