Insider Selling: Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Insider Sells 816 Shares of Stock

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) insider Jacqueline Friesner sold 816 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.44, for a total value of $55,031.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 187,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,615,933.36. This represents a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Jacqueline Friesner also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, December 15th, Jacqueline Friesner sold 1,886 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.87, for a total transaction of $133,660.82.
• On Monday, December 15th, Jacqueline Friesner sold 1,886 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.87, for a total transaction of $133,660.82.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Up 1.8%

QSR traded up $1.20 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $68.66. 2,935,851 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,435,567. The firm has a market cap of $22.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.59. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.71 and a 12-month high of $73.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $69.48 and a 200 day moving average of $67.31.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $2.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.39 billion. Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 32.43%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.93 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Restaurant Brands International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 23rd. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio is 88.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the first quarter valued at approximately $237,000. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the 1st quarter valued at $648,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in Restaurant Brands International by 197.7% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 711,953 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $47,445,000 after purchasing an additional 472,827 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 12,198 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $808,000 after purchasing an additional 714 shares during the period. Finally, Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. grew its position in Restaurant Brands International by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 116,300 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,699,000 after purchasing an additional 8,900 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Restaurant Brands International

Here are the key news stories impacting Restaurant Brands International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target from $78 to $86 and moved to an “overweight” rating, signaling stronger upside (about ~25% from recent levels). This is a direct catalyst for positive sentiment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital issued a buy on QSR, adding another institutional endorsement that supports demand for the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Aggregate analyst sentiment is tilted bullish — roughly 60% of analysts are positive with a median price target around $77.50, implying notable upside vs. current levels. That improves conviction among growth/value investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights rising beef costs as a near-term headwind to Burger King U.S. margins; the company calls the cost pressure cyclical but it could compress profits in upcoming quarters. Monitor commodity trends and margin guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders (including CEO Joshua Kobza and CFO Sami Siddiqui) disclosed share sales on Jan. 7 — about 10 insiders sold small portions of their holdings, totaling roughly $0.9M. The individual reductions were generally modest (fractions of their positions), but clustered insider selling can be read as a short-term negative by some investors. Read More.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on QSR. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Morgan Stanley set a $77.00 price target on Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $86.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Wednesday. Northcoast Research downgraded Restaurant Brands International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 12th. Finally, Argus upgraded Restaurant Brands International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $76.18.

Restaurant Brands International Company Profile

Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE: QSR) is a global quick-service restaurant company formed through the combination of established brands. The company’s principal holdings include Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, each of which operates under its own brand identity and menu. Restaurant Brands International’s business is centered on developing and expanding these franchised restaurant systems, supporting franchisees with brand management, supply chain coordination, and marketing programs.

RBI’s restaurants offer a range of quick-service food and beverage products: Burger King is known for its flame-grilled hamburgers and sandwiches, Tim Hortons for coffee, baked goods and breakfast items, and Popeyes for Louisiana-style fried chicken and seafood.