Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $73.89 and last traded at $73.81, with a volume of 2295747 shares. The stock had previously closed at $73.33.

Analyst Ratings Changes

QSR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Scotiabank cut their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $74.00 to $71.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $78.95.

Restaurant Brands International Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $68.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $67.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.61 billion, a PE ratio of 31.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.56.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 32.51% and a net margin of 8.23%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.81 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 19th will be given a dividend of $0.65 per share. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.08%.

Insider Activity at Restaurant Brands International

In other news, CEO Joshua Kobza sold 25,472 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.91, for a total transaction of $1,806,219.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 961,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $68,164,506.62. The trade was a 2.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Duncan Fulton sold 10,308 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total value of $695,893.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,677 shares in the company, valued at $3,353,694.27. This trade represents a 17.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 186,401 shares of company stock valued at $12,857,069 over the last 90 days. 1.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of QSR. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 1,922.2% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 364 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 346 shares during the period. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in Restaurant Brands International during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA purchased a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. 82.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.