Seaport Research Partners Upgrades Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• Seaport Research Partners upgraded Restaurant Brands International to “strong-buy,” adding to a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 23 analysts and an average price target of $84.
• QSR shares opened at $74.94, compared with a 12-month range of $62.85 to $81.96. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $26.14 billion.
• Restaurant Brands International exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.07 in EPS versus the $1.04 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4.6% year over year to $2.52 billion.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR was upgraded by stock analysts at Seaport Research Partners to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

QSR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $88.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Restaurant Brands International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $84.00.

Restaurant Brands International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:QSR opened at $74.94 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.49, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $76.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $75.53. Restaurant Brands International has a 12 month low of $62.85 and a 12 month high of $81.96.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 33.43% and a net margin of 13.12%.Restaurant Brands International's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.94 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Restaurant Brands International will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Axel Schwan sold 57,574 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.14, for a total value of $4,671,554.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 209,908 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,031,935.12. The trade was a 21.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.22% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,260 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 2.4% in the second quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 6,137 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $445,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 4.1% in the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 4,354 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Restaurant Brands International by 6.3% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,478 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA grew its position in Restaurant Brands International by 0.4% during the second quarter. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA now owns 54,969 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $3,986,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant Brands International Inc NYSE: QSR is a global quick-service restaurant company that owns and operates a portfolio of well-known restaurant brands. Its principal brands are Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, which serve products including hamburgers, chicken, sandwiches, coffee, baked goods and other prepared foods.

RBI primarily operates through a franchise-based business model, supporting independently owned and operated restaurants through brand management, restaurant development, marketing and supply-chain programs.

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