Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Upgraded at Argus

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on QSR. TD Securities restated a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. CIBC reduced their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $78.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Loop Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $81.00 to $73.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Restaurant Brands International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.08.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

Shares of QSR stock opened at $67.93 on Wednesday. Restaurant Brands International has a one year low of $59.67 and a one year high of $81.27. The company’s 50-day moving average is $64.12 and its 200 day moving average is $67.28. The company has a market capitalization of $22.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.29). Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 28.53%. Sell-side analysts expect that Restaurant Brands International will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Restaurant Brands International

In other news, insider Duncan Fulton sold 27,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.66, for a total transaction of $1,778,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 34,822 shares in the company, valued at $2,251,590.52. This represents a 44.13 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Joshua Kobza sold 12,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total value of $797,364.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 703,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,161,169. This trade represents a 1.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 287,726 shares of company stock valued at $18,269,723. 1.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 213.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 461 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 183.9% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 636 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares during the period. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the fourth quarter worth $60,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

About Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant Brands International Inc operates as a quick-service restaurant company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Tim Hortons (TH), Burger King (BK), Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (PLK), and Firehouse Subs (FHS). The company owns and franchises TH chain of donut/coffee/tea restaurants that offer blend coffee, tea, and espresso-based hot and cold specialty drinks; and fresh baked goods, including donuts, Timbits, bagels, muffins, cookies and pastries, grilled paninis, classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, and other food products.