Restaurant Brands International Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:QSR)

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Investors bought 273,975 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 22,468% compared to the typical volume of 1,214 call options.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of QSR traded down $0.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $74.37. 10,766,624 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,352,184. The company has a market capitalization of $25.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.51, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. Restaurant Brands International has a 52 week low of $58.71 and a 52 week high of $75.57. The company’s 50 day moving average is $69.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.30.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.03. Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 32.51%. The company had revenue of $2.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Restaurant Brands International will post 3.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 19th will be paid a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. This is a positive change from Restaurant Brands International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 19th. Restaurant Brands International’s payout ratio is presently 105.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Piper Sandler upgraded Restaurant Brands International from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $71.00 to $84.00 in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Truist Financial increased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $82.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.19.

Insider Activity

In other Restaurant Brands International news, insider Jeffrey Housman sold 7,705 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total transaction of $520,164.55. Following the transaction, the insider owned 159,962 shares in the company, valued at $10,799,034.62. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Axel Schwan sold 34,939 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total transaction of $2,358,731.89. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 194,984 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,163,369.84. This trade represents a 15.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 145,191 shares of company stock worth $10,080,956. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in QSR. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 26.9% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 325,904 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $22,237,000 after buying an additional 69,030 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 93.6% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 26,792 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,828,000 after acquiring an additional 12,951 shares in the last quarter. Platinum Paramount Investment LTD. bought a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $281,033,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Restaurant Brands International by 238.1% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 3,520 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $240,000 after acquiring an additional 2,479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stone Wealth Partners acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $349,000. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.